Unplanned Jeju trips are a thing of the past; 5,500 Jeju flight seats disappear daily

Spontaneous trips to Jeju Island are a thing of the past, with a significant shortage of flight seats making last-minute travel nearly impossible. The situation has become so severe that booking flights for weekends or holidays requires advance planning.

The primary reason for the scarcity is the reduction in flights. High oil prices have forced airlines to cut back on operations to avoid losses. Compounding this issue is the ongoing merger between Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, which has resulted in the deployment of smaller aircraft on routes, further diminishing available seats.

Data from the Korea Airports Corporation shows a decrease of 680 domestic flights, or 5.3%, in April compared to the previous year. This reduction translates to approximately 5,500 fewer seats available daily. The popular Jeju-Gimpo route alone has seen a drop of over 118,000 seats, a 9.1% decrease.

Consequently, flights are operating at near full capacity, with the average domestic passenger load factor for Jeju routes rising from 88.9% last year to 94.6% this year. The redistribution of flight slots following the merger has also contributed, with low-cost carriers selected to operate some routes previously dominated by the larger airlines.

This shrinking air capacity poses a threat not only to the mobility of Jeju residents who rely on flights for essential travel but also to the island's economy, which heavily depends on tourism. In response, the Jeju Tourism Association has launched a petition demanding increased flight frequency and the use of larger aircraft to expand seat supply.