International air passenger traffic hits record high in 2013

Industry

International air passenger traffic hits record high in 2013

The number of international airline passengers coming to and from Korea hit a record high last year, thanks to the rising number of tourists from China and Southeast Asian countries, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said yesterday. The ministry said 50.99 million international passengers entered and left Korea last year, an increase of 6.9 percent from 2012, adding that a simpler visa process and more flights from low-cost carriers prompted the increase of Chinese passengers with a 16.6 percent hike, followed by Southeast Asian passengers at a 9.5 percent increase.