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Korea's air traffic volume tops 1 million flights for first time in 2025

Published: 19 Feb. 2026, 13:09 Updated: 19 Feb. 2026, 14:43

This file photo, taken Sept. 10, 2025, shows a Korean Air aircraft takes off from Incheon International Airport in this file photo. [YONHAP]

Korea's annual air traffic volume surpassed 1 million flights for the first time last year, driven by a sharp increase in international travel demand, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Thursday.

According to the ministry, the total number of domestic and international flights to and from Korean airports reached 1,013,830 in 2025, up 6.8 percent from a year earlier. The figure includes both passenger and nonpassenger flights.

An average of 2,778 flights operated daily in Korean airspace last year, 20.4 percent higher than the previous high set in 2019, when the daily average stood at 2,307 flights.

The ministry attributed the increase to an expansion in international traffic.

International flights totaled 788,531 last year, up 9.4 percent on year. Of those, flights to Southeast Asia and southern China accounted for about 52 percent.

By airport, Incheon International Airport had the largest volume, with 435,360 flights, followed by Jeju International Airport and Gimpo International Airport, with 177,681 flights and 142,621 flights, respectively.

"The stable growth in air traffic amid a mid- to long-term expansion in international travel demand will serve as a key foundation for boosting logistics, tourism, trade and overall economic vitality," a ministry official said.

Yonhap