Spike in the number of passengers using airport buses and international taxis
- The number of passengers of airport buses in May 2023 reaches 540,000, increased by 1,385% year on year.
- The accumulated number of international taxi service cases provided exceeded 40,000 after its reopening in April 2022.
- The SMG responds to fluctuations in the number of passengers and authorizes new routes swiftly.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government (SMG) reported that the city has seen a spike in the number of passengers using airport buses and international taxis as a result of analyzing data from January to May 2023.
In particular, the number of passengers in 2023 is on a steeper rise than last year. While the total number of passengers in 2022 is 1,230,000, the number of passengers for five months from January to May 2023 reached almost twice the figure of the previous year. It is predicted that the total number of passengers exceeded twice that of the previous year before the holiday season.
The monthly number of passengers is also continuously increasing. In May, which is Family Month in Korea, the increase in passengers stood out even more due to the holidays and Children’s Day. The number of passengers was 539,000 in May, increased by 1,385% year-on-year. It exceeded 500,000 for the first time in three years after services had decreased or been interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
<Monthly number of passengers of airport buses (Jan. 2022–May 2023)>
Unit: passengers
| 2022 | Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | Apr. | May | Jun. | Jul. | Aug. | Sep. | Oct. | Nov. | Dec. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passengers | 21,947 | 19,788 | 18,622 | 29,377 | 36,310 | 57,420 | 84,688 | 109,109 | 129,620 | 195,160 | 232,723 | 303,019 |
| 2023 | Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | Apr. | May | |||||||
| Passengers | 323,873 | 345,409 | 429,679 | 477,412 | 539,518 | |||||||
※ 2022 total: 1,237,783 / Jan. to May 2023: 2,115,891
※ 2023: 323,873 in Jan; 345,409 in Feb; 429,679 in Mar; 477,412 in Apr; 539,518 in May
The number of service routes also increased. As of June 2023, 35 (81.4%) out of 43 authorized airport bus routes in Seoul are in operation. Five night bus routes, which had been closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, were reopened in March through May. The services will be continuously expanded to 90% of the authorized routes.
○ Service routes reopened (35 as of Jun. 2023)
– Airport Limousine (19): 6001, 6002, 6003, 6004, 6007, 6008, 6010, 6011, 6012, 6013, 6014, 6015, 6016, 6017, 6018, 6019 / (night service) N6000, N6001, N6002
– Seoul Air Bus (5): 6006, 6009, 6020, 6200, 6300
– Korea Airport Limousine (6): 6701, 6702, 6703, 6705 / (night service) N6701, N6703
– City Airport, Logis & Travel, Korea (5): 6100, 6101, 6102, 6103, 6105
The number of passengers of international taxis is also growing. The accumulated number of service cases provided reached 43,353 in May 2023 after 14 months after international taxi services were resumed in April 2022.
※ International Taxi: https://www.intltaxi.co.kr/
The city will keep an eye on and swiftly respond to the number of passengers in order to provide more convenient airport transportation services for both citizens and foreigners.