The number of flight passengers hit an all-time high of over 89-point-four million in South Korea last year, despite the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome(MERS) epidemic.

The Ministry of Transport said Thursday that nearly 28 million passengers flew on domestic flights in 2015, up 13-point-five percent from a year earlier. The number of international passengers grew eight-point-two percent to approximately 61-point-four million during the same period.
 
The ministry predicted that the airline industry will continue to grow this year and the annual number of travelers by plane will reach 100 million in a matter of one or two years. In particular, the ministry forecast that those taking low-cost carriers(LLCs) will exceed 30 million this year. Last year, low-cost carriers served nearly 24-point-three million passengers.
 
The number of flight passengers surged from some 69 million in 2012, to 73 million in 2013 and to over 81 million in 2014.
 
The ministry said that the growth is attributed to an increase in flight routes and operations as well as reduced travel costs from a strong Korean won and lower oil prices.