SEOUL, June 12 (Korea Bizwire) — The number of airplane passengers carrying pets last year surpassed the previous record from the pre-pandemic era, data showed Sunday.
Korean Air Co. reported that passengers flew with their pets in the cabin on 28,240 occasions last year, including international and domestic flights, marking a 12.1 percent increase from 2019.
Specifically, domestic flights saw a notable rise of 25.7 percent.
The national flag carrier also transported 3,883 pets via cargo, indicating a 10 percent increase from 2019.
Asiana Airlines Inc. saw a 4 percent increase in passengers flying with pets in the cabin last year, reaching a total of 18,364. Domestic flights experienced a significant rise of 23 percent.
Additionally, Asiana transported 3,843 pets via cargo for domestic flights, which represented a 22 percent increase from 2019.
Jeju Air Co., South Korea’s largest low-cost carrier, reported an impressive surge in passengers traveling with pets. Last year, they flew with 20,723 pets, nearly three times the number compared to only three years ago.
Jin Air Co., the budget carrier unit of Korean Air, also saw a significant increase in pets flown last year with 1,000 more pets compared to the previous year.
Image Credit: Yonhap / photonews@koreabizwire.com
