Thursday, December 26, 2024 Korean air are soaring to new heights, capturing an extraordinary 92% of the flight capacity between South Korea and Japan. This achievement, highlighted in Cirium’s December 2024 report, showcases the deep travel connections between the two nations, with 1.3 million scheduled seats linking these vital neighbors.
While South Korean carriers dominate the skies, Japanese airlines, including Peach Aviation, ANA, and Japan Airlines, hold a mere 7% share. Ethiopian Airlines rounds out the market, leveraging its fifth-freedom rights to operate a niche route between Incheon (ICN) and Tokyo Narita (NRT). Of the 16 airlines flying these routes, 10 hail from South Korea, reinforcing the country’s significant influence.
The extent of South Korea’s dominance is undeniable. South Korean airlines operate 46 of the 50 routes between the two nations, leaving limited opportunities for competitors. Even on major routes like Incheon-Narita, Gimpo-Haneda, and Incheon-Kansai, South Korean carriers control up to 90% of the market share, led by heavyweights like Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, and Jeju Air.
The South Korean aviation landscape is set for a major transformation as Korean Air and Asiana Airlines move forward with their highly anticipated merger. The combined airline will oversee 32% of the total seat capacity on Japan routes, with over 830,000 seats. Factoring in subsidiaries such as Jin Air, Air Busan, and Air Seoul, the group’s market share will skyr.
