The number of international air passengers increased by more than 50 percent in January from a year earlier.

According to data by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on Sunday, the total number of the nation's international air passengers reached seven-point-28 million last month, up 57 percent on-year.

This increase represents 91 percent of the figure recorded in January 2019, before the outbreak of COVID-19.

Routes to and from China saw the largest growth, as the number of travelers on those routes reached 873-thousand in January to post an on-year increase of 733 percent.

It marks the first time that the monthly figure has surpassed 870-thousand since August of last year, when China announced the resumption of group tours to South Korea.

The number of air travelers on routes connecting to Japan is also increasing steadily. The number of passengers on those routes came to two-point-03 million in January, up 53 percent on-year.