By Xu Aiying and Lee Jihae

International flights resumed last month after interruption by the COVID-19 pandemic and saw more than a million passengers.

The site Airportal of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on June 3 released statistics showing that the number of international air passengers last month reached 1.28 million.

The figure is up 36% from 941,000 in May and a 420% jump from 246,000 in June last year. This is the first time since the pandemic's outbreak that the number of such passengers exceeded a million.

The number steadily increased from 411,000 in March to 650,000 in April and 941,000 in May.

The figure for domestic passengers last month was 3,320,000, a slight decline from 3,457,000 in May.

The combined figure for international and domestic passengers last month was 4,601,000, up 4.6% from 4,398,000 in May.

The ministry last month lifted limits on the hourly number of incoming flights at Incheon International Airport and bans on flight operating hours for the first time in two years and two months. Permission to raise the number of international flights will also be granted based on demand and without restrictions.

Airlines are thus speeding up their resumption of and increase in international flights following the lifting of regulations.

Korean Air plans to restore half of its pre-COVID-19 flights by September, while Asiana is expanding its flight operations, mainly routes to North America and Europe.

xuaiy@korea.kr