Only 3 Passengers on a 180-Seat Plane: Which Routes Are ‘Lie-Flights’ (눕코노미)?
Creatrip Team
4 months ago
Some international flights from Busan, like Busan–Guam, are operating with extremely low passenger numbers — one flight arrived with only 3 passengers on a 180-seat aircraft. Regulators required carriers involved in the Korean Air–Asiana merger (including Jin Air, Air Busan, Air Seoul) to maintain over 90% of certain international route capacity for 10 years compared with 2019 levels to prevent post‑merger monopolies and fare hikes. But demand for destinations such as Guam and Cebu has fallen due to currency shifts and competing resorts (e.g., Phu Quoc, Bohol), leaving many flights at about 10–20% load factor. Critics say the rule keeps unpopular routes open, wasting resources and hindering introduction of new regional routes. (눕코노미: a slang combining “lie down” and “economy,” referring to very empty flights where passengers can lie down)
