Boosted by diversified air routes and expansion of low-cost carrier market, the number of air passengers for international and domestic flights reached 109.36 million in 2017, up 5.2 percent from the previous year, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said.

“Airlines increased flights to Japan, Europe and Southeast Asia last year to offset sharp declines in travel demand to and from China due to bilateral diplomatic tensions,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry also cited how low-cost carriers such as Jeju Air and Air Busan expanded their fleets and overseas flights, bringing up the overall traffic.

Air cargo traffic also increased by 6.1 percent to a record 4.32 million tons last year. (khnews@heraldcorp.com)