South Korea's air traffic grew last month from a year earlier as the global economic recovery boosted flight demand, the transportation ministry said Wednesday.

   South Korean air authorities controlled a total of 41,845 airplanes flying in and out of the country last month, up 8.7 percent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs. 

   This marked the 19th consecutive month of growth since July 2009.

   Incheon International Airport, South Korea's main gateway, handled 19,839 airplanes during the month, up 13.7 percent from a year earlier, while Gimpo Airport, located on the western outskirts of Seoul, saw 5.4 percent growth, driven by a rising amount of domestic travelers, the ministry said. (Yonhap News)