S. Korea’s international air travel recovery shows regional disparities in H1

[Photo by Yonhap]

The recovery rate of international air travel in South Korea during the first half of this year compared to the pre-pandemic year of 2019 has revealed significant regional disparities.

While the Middle East and Africa routes experienced an increase in passengers from the first half of 2019, China’s air routes were at only one-fifth of the level seen four years ago.

Aviation statistics from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport reveal that the total number of international passengers from January to June this year came to 29.5 million, representing a 64.8 percent recovery rate compared to the pre-pandemic levels.

Among the regions, the Middle East and Africa demonstrated the highest passenger recovery rate at an impressive 111.3 percent. The Americas followed with a commendable 98.8 percent recovery rate, while Japan recorded 75.5 percent, and the rest of Asia,excluding China and Japan, achieved a recovery rate of 73 percent.

In contrast, the Russia route had no passengers due to the aftermath of the war, and China’s recovery rate remained at a mere 21 percent, indicating a slow increase in passenger numbers.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) analysis in May, Middle Eastern airlines’ revenue passenger kilometers (RPK) surpassed 2019 levels by 17.2 percent, signifying a complete recovery of international air travel in the region compared to pre-pandemic times.

The second-highest passenger recovery rate (98.8 percent) was observed in the Americas, with around 2.63 million passengers traveling on flights to this region, just slightly below the 2.66 million passengers seen during the first half of 2019.

Following the Americas, Japan reported a 75.5 percent recovery rate, the rest of Asia (excluding China and Japan) stood at 73 percent, and the Pacific region, including Australia, New Zealand, Guam, and Saipan, achieved a recovery rate of 72.8 percent. Europe reported a slightly lower recovery rate of 61.7 percent.

Among European routes, the Russia route, which had approximately 670,000 passengers during the first half of 2019, experienced zero passengers during the first half of this year due to the impact of the Ukraine war.