Jeju Air to launch route to Oita, Japan

Jeju Air will launch flights to Oita, a prefecture in Japan that served as the main setting for the popular animated film "Suzume."

A picture of a street in Oita Prefecture, Japan [JEJU AIR]

Jeju Air will launch flights to Oita, a prefecture in Japan that served as one of the settings for the popular animated film “Suzume.” Starting June 22, Jeju Air will be the sole domestic airline operating on the Incheon-Oita route. The Incheon-Oita route by Jeju Air will operate three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Departing from Incheon International Airport at 10:50 a.m., the flight will arrive at Oita Airport at 12:45 p.m. The return flight will depart from Oita Airport at 1:55 p.m. and land at Incheon International Airport at 3:50 p.m. Oita, located in the northeastern part of Kyushu, is renowned for its hot springs, particularly in the Yufuin and Beppu areas. It has also gained popularity as one of the real-life settings for the anime film “Suzume.” To celebrate the launch of the new Incheon-Oita route, Jeju Air has initiated a special promotional event starting Monday, which will run until May 31. “This marks our third new route to a smaller Japanese city, following Matsumoto and Shizuoka,” a Jeju Air official said. “We will continue to actively explore new short- to medium-haul routes.” In the first quarter of 2023, Jeju Air achieved a leading market share on its Japan routes among domestic airlines. The airline transported a total of 840,000 passengers to Japan during this period, accounting for 22 percent of the overall passenger volume on routes to Japan. Moreover, Jeju Air secured the second-highest market share among domestic carriers by flying 219,000 passengers to Thailand and 200,000 passengers to the Philippines, capturing market shares of 24 percent and 30 percent, respectively. This further strengthened its presence and competitiveness in Southeast Asia. According to the company, the average passenger load factor during the first quarter soared to an all-time high of 94 percent, surpassing the figures from the same period in 2019. During the first quarter of this year, the budget airline saw a total of 10,250 international flights, achieving a recovery rate of 77 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels. The domestic sector recorded 6,968 flights, reaching a recovery rate of 110 percent.

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]