Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taipei routes account for over 80% of Chinese-market share

An Eastar Jet aircraft [Eastar Jet]
An Eastar Jet aircraft [Eastar Jet]

Eastar Jet said Monday that foreign passenger numbers on its routes have been consistently rising, driven largely by growing tourist arrivals from Chinese-speaking markets.

The airline carried approximately 1.02 million foreign passengers last year, of whom about 500,000 — roughly half — traveled on routes serving Chinese-speaking destinations. The trend continued into the first quarter of this year, with 130,000 of approximately 300,000 foreign customers flying on those routes.

On the Taipei Songshan route, the share of foreign passengers climbed from 57 percent in 2024 to 67 percent in 2025 and reached 69 percent in the first quarter of this year. The Incheon-Zhengzhou route saw a sharper rise over the same period, from 55 percent to 73 percent. The Incheon-Hong Kong route, which launched in March, has maintained a foreign passenger share of around 90 percent.

Jeju has emerged as the top destination among foreign travelers. The foreign passenger share on the Jeju-Taipei route rose from 86 percent in 2024 to 94 percent in 2025 and reached 96 percent in the first quarter of this year. On the Jeju-Shanghai route, that figure reached 98 percent in the first quarter.

Foreign visitor numbers to Busan are also climbing. On the Busan-Taipei route, the foreign passenger share increased each month in the first quarter — from 79 percent in January to 86 percent in February and 92 percent in March.

To deepen its presence in Chinese-speaking markets, Eastar Jet has stationed veteran sales staff as local branch managers and expanded its networks with travel agencies and corporate clients. The airline also credited its late-night flight schedules, designed to improve convenience for local travelers, as a factor behind the passenger growth.

Beyond Chinese-speaking markets, Eastar Jet is running marketing campaigns to attract foreign passengers on its Japan routes. Since April, the airline has partnered with "Shishamo Neko," a popular Japanese character, to build brand recognition. Born in Tokushima in 2011, Shishamo Neko is a hybrid character combining a shishamo smelt and a cat. The airline also runs regular discount promotions on those routes.

In 2025, foreign passengers accounted for 42 percent of travelers on the Incheon-Tokyo route and 29 percent on the Incheon-Tokushima route.

"We plan to continue actively attracting foreign passengers through localization strategies tailored to each market," an Eastar Jet official said. "We will strengthen route competitiveness by expanding demand originating from local markets and contribute to the growth of Korea's tourism industry."

Meanwhile, Eastar Jet recently held open recruitment for about 50 new cabin crew members, part of its proactive preparations for aircraft additions and route expansion planned for the second half of the year.


eyre@heraldcorp.com