Amid the protracted COVID-19 pandemic, several local airliners have posted losses in the first quarter. 

According to the Financial Supervisory Service on Monday, the nation's No. 2 carrier Asiana Airlines posted an operating loss of 11-point-two billion won in the January-March period, although it marks an improvement from the loss of 208-point-two billion won in the same quarter last year. 

Its sales also plunged 30-point-six percent to 783-point-four billion won during the cited period. 

Three of the country's low-cost carriers that have announced their latest quarterly figures -Jin Air, T’way and Jeju Air - also posted losses, with Jin Air’s operating loss jumping 92 percent from 31-point-three billion won logged a year earlier. 

The nation’s flagship carrier, Korean Air, however, posted an operating profit for the fourth consecutive quarter. The airliner said its operating profit totaled 124-point-five billion won in the first quarter, compared with a loss of 65-point-seven billion won a year earlier. Its sales, however, slipped 24 percent from two trillion and 309-point-eight billion won to one trillion and 749-point-eight billion won.