The number of passengers using international flights during the summer vacation season this year surpassed 15 million, rising nearly 20 percent from a year earlier.

According to data by the Korea Airports Corporation and the Incheon International Airport Corporation presented to the office of Rep. Lee Yeon-hee on Sunday, a total of 15-point-69 million people used international flights at South Korean airports in July and August.

It marks an increase of 19-point-nine percent from a year earlier and represents 97 percent of the figure tallied in 2019 before the outbreak of COVID-19.
 
About 12-point-four million people used international flights at Incheon International Airport and three-point-27 million used six other airports in the country.

By destination, four-point-16 million passengers used flights for Japan during the period, up 18-point-five percent on-year and 25 percent from 2019.

The number of passengers using Southeast Asian routes rose eight percent on-year to four-point-25 million in July and August.