Korean Air carries over 16 million passengers in 2025, Tokyo tops destination list

Tokyo was the most popular destination for travelers flying on Korean Air for the second year in a row, the airline said Thursday, with over 16 million passengers flying with the flag carrier between Jan. 1 and Nov. 10.

Tokyo was the most popular destination for Korean Air passengers departing from Korea from Jan. 1 to Nov. 10, followed by Osaka and Fukuoka in Japan and Bangkok, Thailand. [KOREAN AIR]

Tokyo was the most popular destination for travelers flying on Korean Air for the second year in a row, the carrier said Thursday.

Japan has been the most favored destination nation for travelers leaving Korea so far this year, according to the flag carrier's year-end report using data from Jan. 1 to Nov. 10. The Japanese capital was followed by Osaka and Fukuoka. The Thai capital of Bangkok placed fourth.

Travel to China saw sharp growth, with passengers flying from Korean cities to Shanghai increasing by 128,000 from a year earlier and those to Beijing rising by 71,000.

The Chinese government launched a program for Korean nationals offering visa-free entry for up to 15 days from Nov. 8, 2024. It was extended through 2025 and then further to 2026.

In total, Korean Air ferried more than 16.49 million passengers from Jan. 1 to Nov. 10 and flew a total of 280 million kilometers (174 miles) so far, a distance that can circle Earth approximately 6,986 times.

Travelers in their 30s and 40s accounted for 40 percent of the total, and those in their 50s and 60s made up 30 percent.

Foreign nationals represented 35 percent of all passengers, with U.S. and Chinese travelers each accounting for 24 percent of that group.

The report also highlighted unique travel patterns: The most frequent customer flew 216 times this year, 5,192 unaccompanied minors traveled using Korean Air's children assistance service and nearly 32,000 pets were transported overseas.

The most-watched in-flight movie was "Captain America: Brave New World," while the Korean rom-com "Lovely Runner" was the most-selected TV series and MBC's "I Live Alone" the most-watched comedy show.

On Korean Air's Prestige business class, passengers selected stir-fried spicy octopus with rice the most as their on-flight meal.

The airline acquired Korea's second-largest carrier, Asiana Airlines, with full integration set to finish by 2027.

BY KIM JU-YEON, YONHAP [kim.juyeon2@joongang.co.kr]