Air traffic in Korean airspace hit a record high in the first half of 2016 with nearly 2,000 planes flying every day, according to the Transport Ministry on Thursday.

Data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport showed that compared to last year, international air traffic crossing through Korean airspace rose by nearly 10 percent. 


Much of that increase was due to a 36 percent rise in Chinese airlines flying through Korea. About 11,500 Chinese flights were monitored by air traffic centers.

The Transport Ministry forecasted that traffic will continue to rise due to increasing numbers of Koreans traveling abroad, more demand for flights to China and Southeast Asia, and the rise of low-cost carriers.

According to the Transport Ministry, air traffic has been rising at an average of 5.5 percent each year over the last ten years with the exception of 2009, at the height of the global economic crisis.

By Won Ho-jung (hjwon@heraldcorp.com)