BUSAN — Gimhae International Airport has reached a historic milestone, with total passenger traffic surpassing 15 million and international travelers exceeding 10 million between January and October of this year. Both figures represent all-time highs for the aviation hub, driven by surging international travel demand.

Data released by the Korea Airports Corporation on Monday shows that international traffic soared 22.1% year-on-year to 10.34 million passengers during the first ten months, eclipsing the 8.47 million recorded over the same period in 2025. Because total international volume reached 10.5 million for the entirety of last year, the airport crossed the 10-million threshold two months earlier than in previous years.

While international numbers flourished, domestic traffic experienced a minor contraction. Domestic passengers dropped 5.3% to 5.09 million over the ten-month span, down from 5.36 million a year earlier. Industry experts note that carriers actively reallocated aircraft from domestic routes to capture the booming international travel market. Combined domestic and international throughput still reached an unprecedented 15.42 million passengers.

A geographic breakdown of outbound and inbound travel reveals that Japan remained the top destination, capturing 4.35 million passengers. Leading individual routes included Busan to Osaka (1.29 million), Fukuoka (1.23 million), and Tokyo (790,000). Air Busan emerged as the leading carrier on the competitive Busan–Osaka corridor, transporting 350,000 travelers.

Taiwan emerged as one of the most dynamic growth markets, registering 1.76 million passengers—a remarkable 64.5% jump from 1.07 million last year. Eleven carriers currently service routes connecting Busan to Kaohsiung, Taichung, and Taipei, making it the most heavily contested international destination network from Gimhae.

Following Japan and Taiwan, major markets included Vietnam (1.62 million), China (1.13 million), the Philippines (430,000), Thailand (300,000), and Hong Kong (270,000). Despite strong historical performances, traditional Southeast Asian hotspots like Vietnam and Thailand saw slight dips in traffic as airlines shifted capacity toward Northeast Asian corridors.

Niche routes also contributed to the steady traffic flow. Guam and Saipan accounted for a combined 80,606 travelers, while a newly established route to Almaty, Kazakhstan, launched in May, welcomed 13,926 passengers.

Aviation authorities project that if current travel trends persist through the winter season, Gimhae International Airport is on track to finish the year just shy of 12 million international passengers.

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]