Planes from low-cost carriers are seen at Incheon International Airport in this file photo from May 19, 2024. Yonhap
The seating proportion of low-cost carriers (LCCs) in Korea's aviation market has far surpassed the average of the Asia-Pacific region, according to an industry report Wednesday, reflecting the popularity of budget airlines in the country.
According to the analysis by aviation market tracker Center for Aviation, LCCs accounted for 45.7 percent of systemwide seats in Korea, significantly higher than the 32.1 percent average for the Asia-Pacific region as of the second week of January.
The LCC seat proportion for international flights from Korea came to 41.1 percent in 2024, up from 15.4 percent in 2015 and 36.5 percent in 2019, the report showed.
Domestic flights have seen similar growth, with LCCs representing 58.5 percent of seats in 2024, compared with 54.3 percent in 2019.
According to the report, Jeju Air, the country's largest LCC, accounted for 11.1 percent of overall systemwide seats, ranking third only after the country's two full-service flag carriers: Korean Air and Asiana Airlines.
Jeju Air recently reduced its flight capacity following the Dec. 29 crash of one of its B737-800 aircraft, which claimed 179 lives. Prior to the incident, Jeju Air had a slightly higher seat share of 12.4 percent, the report said. (Yonhap)
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