There has been a collapse in traffic at all but one of the top five airports in South Korea in June – largely the result of the MERS virus impact on travel decisions to the country.

According to data from the Korea Airports Corporation, and compiled by seat analyst, Air4Casts, among the top five airports of Seoul Incheon, Jeju International, Seoul Gimpo, Busan’s Gimhae, and Cheongju International, four saw their traffic fall in June 2015.

Incheon had the ‘best’ performance, down by -9% while Jeju had the worst, down -53.2%, compared to June 2014. Only Gimhae registered a gain, albeit marginal at +0.6% (see chart below and click to enlarge).

The relatively ‘moderate’ -9.2% for Incheon is thanks to the hub’s transfer function: Air4Casts points out that international transfer passengers were down by only -4%. “Incheon is the exception which proves the transfer rule,” says the analyst.

“Incheon’s status means that it has, at least so far, been protected from the considerable down drafts experienced by other airports in South Korea,” adds Air4Casts. Those winds, in June, were worst for Jeju and Cheongju, both down by about half.

NATIONALITY SENSITIVITY

At hard-hit Jeju, it was from China where the biggest reduction in international arrivals was seen at -62%, followed by Japan at -50% and Southeast Asia at -29% (see chart below and click to enlarge).

Drilling down, arrivals from Taipei were off by -86%, from Hong Kong by -70%, Beijing by -64%, and from Shanghai Pudong by -50%.

SWIFT REACTION IN MAY

The first MERS infection was reported in South Korea on 20 May and that 10-day window to the end of the month was enough to turn tourism traffic negative from a number of key markets.

Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) reports that visitor arrivals fell in seven out of South Korea’s top eight nationalities – excluding China. They were as follows: Japanese 188,420 (-6.5%); Taiwanese 59,061 (-1.7%); Thai 41,569 (-15.8%); Malaysians 21,358 (-8.9%); Filipinos 43,917 (-6.3%); Indonesians 22,278 (-9.6%); and Singaporeans 17.748 (-5.6%). Only Hong Kongers stayed positive at 47,064 (+14.9%).

MERS deaths in South Korea appear to have peaked at 23, with 74 reported cases at 1 July.

(With additional reporting from Doug Newhouse.)