Flights between Busan and Taiwan are surging as more Taiwanese tourists visit the southeastern port city, reflecting strong demand from Taiwan, Busan's top source of foreign tourists in recent years. According to Korea Airports Corp. aviation statistics released Sunday, a total of 6,609 flights operated between Busan and Taiwan this year through July, equaling the total for all of 2024 and already reaching 82.9 percent of the 7,976 flights recorded in 2025. Passenger traffic on the route reached more than 1.14 million through July this year, surpassing the 1.06 million passengers recorded in 2024 but slightly below the 1.33 million in 2025. Starlux Airlines and EVA Airways are among the Taiwanese carriers that have launched new routes to Busan, while Korean airlines have also increased their flights. The expansion is driven by the lack of traffic rights restrictions on the route, which lets airlines add flights relatively freely, as well as higher passenger occupancy rates as more Taiwanese tourists fly to the city. Taiwanese visitors accounted for the largest share of foreign tourists t