Jeju Air is experiencing a significant increase in passengers traveling to Japan's small cities. The rise in demand for trips to mid- and short-distance cities like Hiroshima and Shizuoka is attributed to ongoing high fuel prices.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's aviation information portal, from January to September this year, Jeju Air's Incheon-Hiroshima route saw over 184,000 passengers, a 42% increase compared to the same period last year, which recorded about 129,000 passengers. The Incheon-Shizuoka route also reported 178,000 passengers, up 41% from 126,000 in the previous year. The increase in available seats on these routes was 21% and 12%, respectively.
Other routes to Japan's small cities also showed growth. The Incheon-Matsuyama route had approximately 188,000 passengers, an 11% increase year-on-year, while the Incheon-Oita route saw 53,000 passengers, a 12% rise.
Jeju Air has expanded its flight network to include not only major cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka but also regional cities such as Hiroshima, Shizuoka, Matsuyama, Oita, Kobe, and Kagoshima.
As a result, the number of passengers on routes to Japan's small cities increased from about 610,000 in 2024 to 760,000 last year. This year, the total reached approximately 700,000 by the end of the third quarter.
A representative from Jeju Air stated, "As travel costs rise due to high fuel prices, interest in reasonably priced trips to Japan's small cities is also increasing."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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