Expanding international network on the back of record revenue… strengthening AI and digital competitiveness “From ticket sales to a platform that connects regions”
Eastar Jet is shifting the focus of its strategy from “growth in scale” to “qualitative growth,” using last year’s record revenue as a springboard.
The airline cited the strengthening of operational competitiveness, built on stable fleet expansion, as the driver behind its record revenue last year. Eastar Jet, which resumed operations with three aircraft in 2023, expanded its fleet to 20 by the end of last year, with around 40 routes in operation. As a result, in August last year it became the fastest low-cost carrier (LCC) to reach a cumulative 10 million passengers, in 29 months. This year, it plans to expand its fleet to 24 aircraft.
In particular, with the support of its major shareholder VIG Partners, aircraft introduction and operation proceeded stably, allowing the carrier to expand international capacity and respond quickly to customer demand. Eastar Jet ranked first in load factor among domestic airlines in 2025 and was named No. 1 in the “Best Low-Cost Airline in Korea” category at the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2025.
Going forward, the company says it will focus on “qualitative growth” rather than simply expanding in scale. It plans to broaden customer choice through the introduction of new aircraft and network expansion, and to strengthen its competitiveness in high-growth markets such as Japan, China and Southeast Asia. Leveraging “Easy Flight,” its brand slogan and philosophy, the carrier intends to enhance its digital competitiveness centered on its website and mobile app, and to deliver personalized travel experiences through AI- and data-based services. According to the company, its goal is to grow into an airline recognized for safety, punctuality and customer experience while maintaining the reasonable fares that are an LCC’s strength.
Enhancing customer experience and operational efficiency through AI and digital transformation
Eastar Jet defines AI not as the mere adoption of the latest technology, but as a means to enhance customer experience, flight safety and operational efficiency.
In customer service, the carrier provides faster and more accurate guidance through AI consultation and is upgrading its services so customers can easily find the information they need. In particular, its chatbot offers foreign-language consultation, allowing international customers to ask questions in their native language at any time and receive real-time answers.
In operations, the airline is reviewing the potential of AI in directions that enhance safety and operational efficiency, such as improving fuel efficiency, designing optimal flight routes, and analyzing maintenance and safety data. On board, it is also using AI for safety and passenger satisfaction, for example by predicting turbulence in advance through AI systems and playing AI-generated boarding music.
In marketing, Eastar Jet plans to expand personalized services that propose customized products and benefits for each customer based on customer data and deliver the information they need at the moment they want it. Through this, it aims to be an airline that customers can use “most easily and conveniently” throughout the entire journey from booking to boarding, while providing employees with a smart working environment.
“From ticket sales to a platform that connects regions”
Eastar Jet views an airline as an industry that connects regions with one another, beyond simply moving people. It can be linked with a wide range of fields, including tourism as well as medical tourism, regional festivals and the revitalization of regional airports.
As the number of foreign tourists visiting Korea has grown rapidly of late, travel demand linked not only to tourism but also to medical tourism, beauty, shopping and regional festivals has been expanding. In line with these changes, the carrier is reviewing collaboration measures that can enrich customers’ travel experiences beyond ticket sales.
Specifically, together with relevant institutions and industry players, the airline plans to review promotions and partnership services linked to regional tourism content, as well as the medical and beauty sectors that draw strong interest from foreign tourists. It also intends to expand cooperation with the Korea Tourism Organization, Korea Airports Corporation, local governments and regional tourism agencies to attract tourists not only to Seoul but also to the provinces, contributing to the revitalization of regional airports and the expansion of inbound tourism. Furthermore, it aims to expand its role into a platform that provides travel information, regional content and partnership services, serving as a bridge that connects new tourism demand to the regions.
China identified as the biggest growth market
Eastar Jet has identified China as the market with the greatest growth potential going forward.
Japan and Taiwan are assessed as markets where travel demand has already been sufficiently proven, offering high load factors and stable profitability. Eastar Jet plans to strengthen its market competitiveness by flexibly expanding capacity during periods of concentrated demand, centered on major routes in Japan and Taiwan.
China, by contrast, is still in a recovery phase, but is analyzed as the region with the greatest growth headroom in terms of market size and latent demand. With the recent visa-free policy, tourism exchange between Korea and China is recovering, and there is a strong possibility that inbound demand to Korea will expand not only from major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai but also from provincial cities in China. In fact, on the Incheon–Shanghai route, passengers rose more than 34% in October 2025 compared with October 2024, before the visa waiver took effect, while on the Incheon–Zhengzhou route the share of foreign passengers increased from 55% in its inaugural year of 2024 to 73% in the first quarter of this year.
Based on the China route traffic rights it has recently secured and its experience operating charter flights, Eastar Jet plans to develop new routes connecting Korea with Chinese provincial cities that do not yet have sufficient direct service. Connecting not only Seoul and the metropolitan area but also regional airports in Korea with provincial cities in China to create new inbound demand is also seen as a key growth opportunity.
The Southeast Asian market likewise has steady growth potential centered on family travel and leisure demand, but the assessment is that it requires careful profitability management taking into account the level of competition and flight distance on each route. Accordingly, Eastar Jet plans to pursue a balanced strategy — securing profitability in the short term based on stable demand in Japan and Taiwan, and preemptively developing new routes over the mid-to-long term while monitoring the pace of China’s recovery and shifts in demand. Rather than uniformly expanding capacity in any one region, it plans to enhance the competitiveness of its international network by flexibly deploying aircraft according to market demand, seasonality and route-level profitability.