Eastar Jet carries 90,000 passengers on Incheon-Manado route in first year

Eastar Jet announced Tuesday that its Incheon-Manado route has carried a cumulative 90,000 passengers as the service marks its first anniversary.

The airline launched the Incheon-Manado route on Oct. 26 last year as the first and only carrier to operate the service, and has since completed more than 600 flights transporting roughly 90,000 passengers.

Manado, an Indonesian resort destination, features emerald waters and sweeping dormant volcanoes. Its top attractions include Bunaken National Marine Park, where visitors can observe more than 400 species of coral and fish, Mahawu volcano, which offers views of a spectacular crater, and Tangkoko National Park, home to endangered wildlife.

The route's load factor hovered around 50 percent in its early months due to limited awareness of Manado, but climbed sharply from June onward, driven largely by word of mouth from returning travelers — reaching 93 percent in June, 95 percent in July, 96 percent in August and 89 percent in September, for an average load factor of more than 93 percent.

Building on that demand, Eastar Jet converted the Incheon-Manado service from a charter operation to a scheduled route starting in September.

To mark the first anniversary, the airline is offering fares of up to 91 percent off on Manado tickets through Thursday, available via its website and mobile app, along with discounts on local activities.

"Manado, which was little known in Korea, is now drawing attention as a new resort destination through traveler interest and word of mouth," an Eastar Jet official said. "Tourism infrastructure such as local hotels and dive shops is also expanding, and we expect even more travelers to visit Manado going forward."

Meanwhile, the Busan-Hong Kong route, which made its inaugural flight Sunday, recorded a load factor of 98 percent on its first day. Foreign passengers accounted for more than 80 percent of those on the inaugural flight, confirming strong inbound travel demand from Hong Kong to South Korea.