[THE INVESTOR] International air passengers to and from South Korea jumped nearly 48 percent on-year in June, government data showed on July 27.

The number of international air passengers came to 5,968,161 last month, up 47.9 percent from the same month last year, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

인천공항이 26일 본격적인 휴가철 맞아 출국을 하려는 해외여행객으로 붐비고 있다. 이번 휴가는 오는 30~31일 절정을 향해 치닫지만, 해외여행객은 벌써부터 출국장에 북적대며 공항을 빠져 나가고 있다. 이날 오전 인천 국제공항에는 평소보다 많은 여행객들이 몰리면서 대기하는 공간 바깥까지 줄을 서며 다양한 풍경을 연출했다. 박현구 기자/phko@heraldcorp.com
인천공항이 26일 본격적인 휴가철 맞아 출국을 하려는 해외여행객으로 붐비고 있다. 이번 휴가는 오는 30~31일 절정을 향해 치닫지만, 해외여행객은 벌써부터 출국장에 북적대며 공항을 빠져 나가고 있다. 이날 오전 인천 국제공항에는 평소보다 많은 여행객들이 몰리면서 대기하는 공간 바깥까지 줄을 서며 다양한 풍경을 연출했다. 박현구 기자/phko@heraldcorp.com

Overall air passenger traffic jumped 44.5 percent on-year to some 8.66 million in June as domestic passengers also spiked 37.4 percent.

The large increases in both domestic and international passengers were partly attributed to a base effect stemming from a sharp drop following the Middle East respiratory syndrome outbreak in May 2015. The MERS outbreak was officially declared terminated here late last year after claiming 38 lives.

By country, international passengers to and from China spiked 80.1 percent on-year to over 1.8 million, with passengers to and from Japan surging 42.2 percent to some 1.07 million.

The number of international passengers using flights operated by low-cost South Korean carriers nearly doubled, spiking 96.4 percent on-year to over 1.07 million in June. International passengers on flights operated by the country‘s two largest flag carriers -- Korean Air and Asiana Airlines -- surged 30.5 percent over 2.72 million.

Still, the combined market share of all South Korean flag carriers slipped to 63.6 percent in June, compared with 65.2 percent in the same month last year, according to the ministry.

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