T'way Air marks 1 year on Incheon-Vancouver route with steady passenger and cargo growth

T'way Air said Thursday that its Incheon-Vancouver route — the first scheduled North American service operated by a South Korean low-cost carrier — marked its first anniversary on Sunday.

The airline launched the nonstop route to Vancouver, Canada, on July 12 last year, becoming the first domestic low-cost carrier to offer scheduled direct service to North America. It currently operates three to four flights a week, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Over the past year, the route completed 408 flights and carried a cumulative total of about 82,000 passengers. The load factor reached around 85 percent in February and March this year, reflecting consistently stable demand since launch.

Belly cargo operations have also run smoothly alongside passenger traffic. Outbound flights from Incheon primarily carry e-commerce freight, while Vancouver-originating flights bring in fresh produce and fruit.

An analysis of cumulative passengers since launch shows that travelers in their 20s accounted for the largest share at 27 percent, followed by those in their 30s at 21 percent. The airline attributed the strong showing among younger travelers to Vancouver's broad appeal beyond tourism — the city draws consistent demand from visitors for study abroad, language programs and working holidays.

By nationality, South Korean passengers made up about 50 percent of travelers, with Canadians accounting for 23 percent. Chinese, Japanese and American nationals followed as the next largest groups.

About 20 percent of Incheon-originating passengers were transit travelers, with steady connecting demand from Northeast Asian countries such as Japan and China heading onward to Canada.

"The Incheon-Vancouver route was T'way Air's first foray into North America, and over the past year it has taken root as a service used by customers of diverse ages and nationalities," a company official said. "We will continue to do our best to enhance customer convenience and contribute to expanding exchanges between Korea and Canada."

Meanwhile, T'way Air has been carrying out a range of corporate social responsibility activities, including donating proceeds from an in-house charity bazaar held as part of its "2026 Safety Campaign" ESG event in April to Save the Children's program supporting play activities for children with disabilities.