Eastar Jet's new Busan–Hong Kong route sells out on debut, with foreigners making up 83% of passengers

Eastar Jet's newly launched Busan–Hong Kong route achieved a 98 percent load factor on its inaugural flight, with foreigners accounting for more than 80 percent of passengers — confirming strong demand from Hong Kong travelers looking to visit South Korea.

The airline announced Monday that it launched the Busan–Hong Kong route on Sunday. Both the Busan-bound and Hong Kong-bound inaugural flights recorded a 98 percent load factor, with foreign passengers averaging 83 percent across the two flights.

The route is Eastar Jet's second Hong Kong service, following the Incheon–Hong Kong route it launched in March. The airline aims to extend the Hong Kong travel demand it has built around Incheon to Busan and the broader Yeongnam region.

Eastar Jet scheduled the Busan–Hong Kong route as a late-night service to cater to Hong Kong travelers' preference for overnight flights. It operates once daily, seven days a week.

The outbound flight departs Gimhae International Airport at 9:30 p.m. and arrives at Hong Kong International Airport at 12:10 a.m. the following day. The return flight departs Hong Kong at 2 a.m. and arrives in Busan at 6:30 a.m. All times are local time.

A launch ceremony was held to mark the occasion. On Sunday evening at Gimhae International Airport, Eastar Jet officials including Gimhae branch manager Yang Seong-rim presented bouquets to the departing crew and wished them a safe flight.

Early Monday, the airline held a welcome event for foreign passengers arriving in Busan from Hong Kong. Organized with the Korea Tourism Organization's Busan-Ulsan-South Gyeongsang Province branch, the event included commemorative gifts for passengers on the inaugural flight.

Eastar Jet's confidence in attracting foreign tourists on the Busan–Hong Kong route is grounded in the performance of its existing Incheon–Hong Kong service.

The Incheon–Hong Kong route, launched in March, has maintained an average load factor of about 90 percent, driven by steady foreign passenger demand. The airline attributes part of that demand to Hong Kong travelers' preference for late-night departures.

With the Busan–Hong Kong route also posting a high share of foreign passengers from day one, Eastar Jet plans to sustain and grow inbound tourist traffic from Hong Kong to Busan. The new service is also expected to broaden flight options for regional travelers between the two cities.

"Our Incheon–Hong Kong route has been performing well, averaging around 90 percent load factor on the back of strong foreign passenger demand," an Eastar Jet official said. "We will actively target local demand on the Busan–Hong Kong route as well, to secure a stable load factor and contribute to attracting foreign tourists."

Meanwhile, Eastar Jet is also pursuing expansion of its China routes. Starting Wednesday, it will operate the Incheon–Xiamen route four times a week, and from Thursday, the Busan–Xiamen route three times a week. In December, the airline plans to add the Cheongju–Xiamen and Busan–Hangzhou routes.