The number of domestic and international flight passengers in Korea reached over 24 million in the first quarter this year, continuing a steady increases since 2013, data showed Tuesday.
According to the Transport Ministry, international and domestic flyers grew by 13.2 percent and 10.4 percent, respectively. Korea saw 17.6 million international passengers in the first quarter.
Incheon Interntional Airport (Yonhap)
The ministry attributed this growth to the growth of low-cost carriers and fuel surcharge exemptions, as well as rising numbers of Korean tourists heading to Japan.
However, the ministry forecast that this growth would be stunted in the coming months due to tension on the Korean Peninsula following provocations by North Korea and decreasing tourism to Japan after the recent large-scale earthquakes.
By Won Ho-jung (
hjwon@heraldcorp.com)