South Korea's air passenger traffic reached a record high in the third quarter from a year earlier in spite of a decrease in travel to and from Japan.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on Tuesday, the number of air passengers came to 31-point-23 million in the July-September period, up four-point-four percent from a year earlier. 

The ministry said the number of air passengers marks a quarterly record, surpassing the previous record set just the previous quarter.

The number of passengers on international routes reached 22-point-nine million in the cited period, up four-point-eight percent on-year, boosted by increased flights by low-cost carriers and recovering travel demand from China.

In contrast, air passengers on Japanese routes fell by 14-point-six percent on-year in the third quarter due to a lower demand for Japanese travel amid historical and trade tensions between Seoul and Tokyo.