A record-high 42.6 million passengers used Gimpo Airport and 13 other provincial airports in the first half of the year, Korean Airports Corp. data showed Tuesday, mainly due to low-cost carriers’ new international routes. 

According to KAC, the total number of passengers who used 14 provincial airports -- excluding Incheon Airport -- inched up 4.1 percent compared to the previous year, breaking the previous year’s record of 40.9 million passengers. 

The airports were located in Gimpo, Gimhae, Jeju, Daegu, Gwangju, Muan, Cheongju, Yangyang, Yeosu, Ulsan, Sacheon, Pohang, Gunsan and Wonju. 

The airport operator said the increase in passengers follows newly added international flights at the Daegu and Cheongju airports, where the number of outbound flights rose by 27.8 percent and 26.2 percent, respectively. 

At Daegu Airport, new international flights bound for Danang, Taipei, Macao, Kumamoto, Hanoi, Narita and Kagoshima kicked off operations in the second half of last year via Jeju Air and T’way. 

Earlier this year, Air Busan, T’way and China Eastern Airlines also began operating new international flights to Kota Kinabalu, Sapporo, Saga, Nha Trang and Weihai.

At Cheongju Airport, which serves air traffic in central South Korea, international flights heading to Taipei, Fukuoka, Osaka and Guam also began operations last year. 

“Increasing numbers of passengers are using airports in the regions due to the advantages, including the flight distance, cheaper fares and spacious parking lot at the airports,” said a KAC official.

Data also showed that Jeju Airport had the highest number of passengers at 5.1 million between January and June, followed by Gimpo Airport (12.4 million), Gimhae Airport (8.6 million) and Daegu Airport (2.4 million).

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)