Jeju Air Sees Passenger Growth on Routes to Smaller Japanese Cities... Hiroshima, Shizuoka Routes Up 40%+

Hiroshima passenger numbers rose 42% and Shizuoka 41% from January to September
Matsuyama and Oita also posted double-digit growth

The number of passengers on Jeju Air's routes to smaller Japanese cities is rising sharply. From January to September this year, passenger numbers on the Incheon-Hiroshima and Incheon-Shizuoka routes increased by more than 40% year on year, while the Matsuyama and Oita routes also recorded double-digit growth.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Aviation Information Portal System on October 19, about 184,000 passengers flew on Jeju Air's Incheon-Hiroshima route from January to September this year, up 42% from 129,000 in the same period last year. More than 178,000 passengers used the Incheon-Shizuoka route, a 41% increase from more than 126,000 in the same period last year.

Shizuoka and Matsuyama. Jeju Air

Passenger numbers on both routes grew faster than seat capacity. During the same period, available seats increased by just 21% on the Hiroshima route and 12% on the Shizuoka route. The increase in passenger numbers outpaced the expansion in capacity, suggesting that demand for travel to those destinations has grown.

Routes to other regional cities also continued to grow. About 188,000 passengers flew on the Incheon-Matsuyama route, up 11% from 169,000 in the same period last year. Seat capacity increased by 5%. Passenger numbers on the Incheon-Oita route also rose 12% to about 53,000, from 47,000 in the same period last year. Passenger numbers increased while seat capacity remained at a level similar to the previous year.

The growth in routes to smaller Japanese cities is also reflected in overall passenger numbers. Jeju Air carried about 610,000 passengers on its routes to smaller and mid-sized Japanese cities in 2024, rising to about 760,000 in 2025. This year, the total reached more than 700,000 through the third quarter.

Jeju Air has expanded its route network not only to major cities such as Tokyo (Narita), Osaka, Fukuoka, Nagoya, Sapporo and Okinawa, but also to regional cities such as Hiroshima, Shizuoka, Matsuyama, Oita, Kobe and Kagoshima. The strategy aims to spread travel demand beyond major cities to a wider range of regions and give travelers more options.

A Jeju Air representative said, "As high oil prices and a weak won have increased the cost of travel, more people are opting for medium- and short-haul routes that offer relatively affordable trips. Interest in smaller and mid-sized Japanese cities as new travel destinations is also growing."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.