Korea’s International Air Passenger Traffic Rises Nearly 10 Percent

International air passenger traffic through South Korean airports increased by nearly 10 percent in the first eight months of 2026, showing resilient travel demand even as higher oil prices pushed up fuel surcharges.

A total of 68.44 million passengers used international flights between January and August, according to data from the airport portal information system operated by the transport ministry. The figure was 9.8 percent higher than in the same period a year earlier.

The expansion was concentrated on routes connecting South Korea with Japan and China. Passenger numbers on Japan routes climbed 20.3 percent from a year earlier to 21.3 million, making Japan the largest of the destinations detailed in the data. Traffic on China routes rose even faster in percentage terms, gaining 23 percent to 13.6 million.

Industry experts attributed the gains to a combination of favorable travel conditions and policy changes. The weaker Japanese yen helped make trips to Japan more attractive to Korean travelers, while China’s visa-free entry program for South Korean nationals supported demand for flights to Chinese destinations. Transit traffic at Incheon International Airport, the country’s main aviation gateway, also increased amid disruption associated with the war in the Middle East.

The figures show a contrasting trend for Southeast Asia. Passenger traffic between South Korea and Vietnam fell 5.1 percent from a year earlier to 6.63 million. The decline was steeper on routes to the Philippines, where passenger numbers dropped 13.7 percent to 2.5 million.

An aviation industry observer linked this shift partly to the cost of longer journeys. Fuel surcharges rose along with oil prices, increasing the expense of international travel. Flights to Japan and China generally take between one and three hours, compared with roughly four to six hours for destinations in Southeast Asia. That difference encouraged more travelers to choose shorter regional trips as fuel-related charges increased.

The January-August data underline how overall international travel demand can remain strong while passenger preferences change significantly across destinations. Growth in nearby Northeast Asian routes more than offset weaker traffic to Vietnam and the Philippines, allowing the total number of international passengers using Korean airports to continue rising during a period of elevated energy costs.

The pattern also highlights the importance of exchange rates, visa rules and flight duration in shaping travel decisions. For South Korea’s aviation market, the sharp increases on Japan and China routes were the central drivers of growth during the period, while Southeast Asian routes faced a more challenging demand environment.