New Flights Fuel 117% Surge in South Korean Visits to Vancouver (YVR)

December 30, 2025 at 12:00 AM•3 min read

New flights by T'way Air/Trinity Airways and increased Korean Air frequency drove a 117% surge in South Korean visits to British Columbia in October 2025, boosting ICN-YVR capacity.

Key Points

1117% surge in South Korean visits to British Columbia was recorded in October 2025, the largest year-over-year gain for any nation.
2T'way Air (rebranding to Trinity Airways) launched its first North American route (ICN-YVR) in July 2025, operating four times weekly.
3Korean Air boosted its ICN-YVR flight frequency from seven to eleven times weekly, contributing to 22 non-stop weekly flights total.

Better air access has significantly boosted travel to British Columbia (B.C.). New data shows a staggering surge in visitors from South Korea.

Destination British Columbia and Statistics Canada confirmed the increase. They reported 11,759 South Korean citizens visited Canada via B.C. entry points in October. This represents a 117 per cent year-over-year jump from October 2024. This was the largest monthly percentage gain for any nation visiting B.C. in October. Overall, 329,066 visitors entered Canada through B.C. entry points, up 5.8 per cent.

Aviation Capacity Explains the Surge

The dramatic rise in South Korean visits British Columbia is directly linked to new air service. Non-stop weekly flights between Seoul's Incheon International Airport (ICN) and Vancouver International Airport (YVR) increased sharply. Total weekly flights rose from 14 to 22 in October 2025.

New Entrant and Frequency Boost

South Korean low-cost carrier T'way Air launched a new service in July. The airline, which has since rebranded as T'way Air Trinity Airways, began flying to YVR four times weekly. This marked the airline’s first regularly scheduled flight to a North American airport. T'way Air, now part of the Daemyung Sono Group, is using Airbus A330-300 aircraft for this North American route launch.

Separately, Korean Air increased its own ICN YVR flight frequency. The SkyTeam member boosted its weekly flights from seven to eleven in July. This significant capacity injection was a major factor in the visitor surge. Meanwhile, Air Canada maintained its schedule. The Star Alliance carrier flew the route seven times per week in October 2025.

An Air Canada spokesperson noted the importance of the route. They confirmed the airline has served the Vancouver-Seoul route for over 30 years. The airline also sees about 20 per cent of its Seoul traffic connecting to other destinations in Asia.

Industry Impact and Market Trends

The increase in Seoul Incheon Vancouver flights highlights a trend. Low-cost carriers are expanding into long-haul international markets. The rebranding of T'way Air to Trinity Airways, set for full rollout in 2026, supports this global expansion strategy.

Opportunity: The new capacity provides greater choice for passengers. It also lowers the cost of travel between South Korea and Canada.
Impact: The 117% visitor increase shows a strong demand response to the added air access. This validates the airlines’ route expansion strategies.
Competition: Increased competition on the route will likely benefit consumers. This could spur further growth in the Asia-Pacific market.

For more on global route development and commercial aviation news, visit flying.flights.

Other Visitor Trends

Visitors from Chinese nationals also saw a notable increase. Those visits were up 21.1 per cent in October. However, Americans still dominate overnight trips to B.C. They accounted for over 63.3 per cent of all overnight visitors in October.