The number of international air passengers in South Korea hit an all-time high of approximately 46 million in the first half of the year, setting a new record.

According to data released Sunday by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, international flights operated by both domestic and foreign airlines carried 46 million passengers between January and June, marking a seven-point-six percent increase from the same period last year.

The total surpassed the previous first-half record of 45-point-five million set in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The number of international flights also rose by five-point-six percent year-on-year to roughly 264-thousand, also breaking the previous first-half record set in 2019.

The sharpest growth was observed on routes to and from China, with seven-point-81 million passengers recorded in the first six months of the year, up 24-point-three percent from a year earlier.