[GLOBAL ECONOMIC TIMES]  It was found that the number of flights to and from Japan in the first to third quarters of this year reached an all-time high. This is because the number of overseas travelers leaving for Japan has increased rapidly due to the combination of the low yen phenomenon and the economic recession, and airlines are accelerating the expansion of flights and new routes. The industry expects this phenomenon to continue through the end of the year.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's aviation statistics on the 23rd, the number of flights departing and arriving in Japan from January to September this year was 100,614, exceeding the previous high of 96,726 in 2019 and exceeding 100,000 for the first time. This is due to the fact that demand for travel to Japan, which had been on the rise since last year due to the combination of the low yen phenomenon and the economic recession, continued steadily until the second half of this year.

In fact, the number of passengers departing and arriving in Japan during the same period was 18,320,557, which was about 17.4% more than the previous record of 15,606,187 in 2019. In order to respond to this travel demand, airlines have increased flights to Japan or launched new routes, resulting in a natural increase in flights.

In the case of Korean Air, it has been increasing routes to major regions of Japan since last year. Specifically, from the 2nd of last month, the Incheon-Kagoshima route, which had been operating 3 times a week, was increased to 5 times, and is planned to be expanded to 7 times from the 28th. Asiana Airlines also welcomed the summer peak season, starting last July: Incheon-Osaka route 21 times a week → 23 times a week △ Incheon-Okinawa route 7 times a week → 13 times △ Incheon-Sapporo route 7 times a week → 9 times a week △ Incheon-Asahikawa irregular flights We have responded by programming the episode twice a week. Jeju Air, which focuses on short-distance travel, also increased the Incheon-Oita route from 3 to 5 times a week and the Incheon-Hiroshima route from 7 to 14 times a week from January 12th. In June, it increased the Incheon-Sapporo △Incheon route. -The Matsuyama route has been doubled.

Airlines believe that this trend will continue in the second half of the year and are speeding up the expansion of Japanese routes and the launch of new routes. Starting with Incheon-Nagasaki on the 27th, Korean Air will increase flights and resume operations on routes such as Incheon-Okayama, Incheon-Kagoshima, and Incheon-Kumamoto. In particular, the Kumamoto route was relaunched after 27 years.

In the case of Asiana Airlines, starting from the 27th, the Incheon-Osaka route will be increased from 21 to 28, and the Incheon-Miyazaki route will be increased from 3 to 5 times a week. It was decided to respond to demand by launching a new Incheon-Kumamoto route from the 7th of next month and an Incheon-Asahikawa route from December 19th. Incheon-Tokyo, which was previously a popular region, will also increase from 28 to 30 times a week from November 13, and from January 13 next year, the routes will be increased to Incheon-Tokyo, Incheon-Sapporo, Incheon-Okinawa, and Incheon-Kumamoto. Jeju Air plans to launch a new Busan-Sapporo route on the 27th.

The industry predicts that the number of overseas travelers to Japan will continue even at the end of the year, which is the off-season. Since it is a short-distance trip, you can fully enjoy the trip by using only a day or two of annual leave.

An airline industry official said, "As the weak yen phenomenon continues, the popularity of travel to Japan is expected to continue in the second half of this year," adding, "In particular, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, and Kagoshima, which are showing a trend of returning to port, are going to Kyushu, which has milder temperatures compared to Korea." “There will be continued demand in the second half of the year,” he said.

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