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Photo = Yonhap news |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] The number of aircraft owned by South Korean airlines surpassed 400 last year, marking an all-time high.
According to data obtained by Rep. Lee Yeon-hee of the National Assembly’s Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Committee from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport and the Korea Air Transport Association, as of the end of last year, domestic airlines operated a total of 416 aircraft—374 passenger planes and 42 cargo planes.
This represents an increase of 23 aircraft from 2023’s 393 (353 passenger planes and 40 cargo planes), the highest number since the first civilian aircraft was registered in South Korea in 1977.
The number of aircraft operated by domestic airlines has steadily increased over the years, surpassing 300 in 2015 and peaking at 414 in 2019. However, due to the impact of COVID-19, the fleet size dropped to 389 in 2020 and further declined to 366 in 2021. The recovery trend began in 2022 (370 aircraft) and has continued since.
By airline, Korean Air held the largest share at the end of last year with 165 aircraft (142 passenger, 23 cargo), accounting for 39.7% of the total. Asiana Airlines followed with 83 aircraft (70 passenger, 13 cargo), making up 20%.
Among low-cost carriers (LCCs), Jeju Air operated 41 aircraft (9.9%), including 39 passenger planes and two cargo planes, while T’way Air had 38 passenger planes (9.1%). Jin Air and Air Busan owned 31 (7.5%) and 21 (5%) aircraft, respectively.
The statistics include a Jeju Air B737-800 lost in the Muan Airport accident and an Air Busan A321-200.
Additionally, Eastar Jet had 15 passenger planes (3.6%), while Air Seoul, Aero K, and Air Premia each operated six passenger planes (1.4%). Cargo-specialized airline Air Incheon operated four cargo planes (1%).
By manufacturer, Boeing accounted for 258 aircraft (62%), while Airbus made up 158 (38%). The most common Boeing model was the B737-800, with 101 in operation, while the Airbus A321-200 (including the A321neo) was the most prevalent Airbus model, with 61 aircraft.
South Korean airlines plan to introduce 54 new aircraft and retire 38 aging planes in 2024. If these plans proceed as expected, the total number of aircraft in operation will rise to 432 by the end of the year.
알파경제 Kim Jisun (stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
