This undated file photo, provided by Korean Air, shows chefs preparing in-flight meals at the Korean Air Catering Center in Incheon, just west of Seoul.
SEOUL, Aug. 24 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korean low-cost carriers are enjoying a sharp increase in sales of in-flight meals on the back of increasing demand for overseas travel.
Jeju Air Co., for instance, sold a total of 4,600 in-flight meals through advance orders last month, up 156 percent from June and 411 percent from May.
T’way Air saw monthly sales of in-flight meals rise from 440 in May to 2,320 in June and 8,289 in July.
Air Seoul Inc. said sales of its in-flight meals marked a 12-fold increase in July compared to the figure recorded in May, although it didn’t disclose detailed figures.
The primary factor behind the hike in low-cost carriers’ sales of in-flight meals is the increase in the number of passengers enjoying long-distance travel.
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, overseas passenger traffic reached 1.84 million last month, a five-fold jump from a year ago and up 44 percent from a month before.
The increase in sales of in-flight meals could lead to an improvement in carriers’ profitability. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, pay-based services like in-flight meals accounted for 5 to 7 percent of their overall revenue.
J. S. Shin (js_shin@koreabizwire.com)
