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

Eastar Jet recorded the highest passenger load factor among domestic airlines in the first half of this year, the carrier announced Thursday.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's aviation information portal, Eastar Jet operated about 20,000 flights on roughly 40 routes from January through June, covering domestic departures and international arrivals and departures. The airline offered about 3.7 million seats, of which about 3.43 million were filled, yielding an average load factor of 93 percent.

That figure was the highest among all domestic carriers and stood 4 percentage points above the industry average of 89 percent.

Eastar Jet also led domestic airlines in load factor last year, posting an annual rate of 90 percent in 2025.

The airline attributed the strong performance to service improvements and sustained safety investment under its brand slogan "Easy Flight," aimed at enhancing customer convenience.

Eastar Jet revamped its website to let customers who do not want add-on services complete ticket purchases quickly by removing unnecessary intermediate prompts. It also added a chatbot service and real-time information on airport parking congestion and gate assignments so passengers can access what they need on the spot.

The carrier has also continued to improve the airport experience. In a check-in processing time survey conducted by Incheon International Airport Corp. last year, Eastar Jet recorded a check-in time of about 10 minutes — the shortest among domestic airlines.

Onboard, the airline offers an "airplane mode service" through its mobile app, allowing passengers to access convenience information even without an internet connection.

Safety investment has continued as well. Eastar Jet opened a maintenance center spanning about 6,600 square meters at Gimpo International Airport and introduced a physical fitness test in its cabin crew hiring process to strengthen emergency response capabilities. The airline received a perfect score in the safety category of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's aviation service evaluation last year.

"We will continue to refine our services under the 'Easy Flight' philosophy so that customers can enjoy a simple and convenient experience at every stage of their journey," an Eastar Jet official said. "We will also consistently strengthen our safety competitiveness to become the airline customers reach for first."

Meanwhile, Eastar Jet recently held an open recruitment drive for about 30 cabin crew members, reflecting its active push to expand its workforce in line with new aircraft additions and route expansion.


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