What Eastar Jet does

Eastar Jet Co., Ltd. (이스타항공 주식회사) is a privately-held South Korean low-cost carrier founded in 2007 and headquartered near Gimpo International Airport in Seoul, with an additional operations office at Gunsan Airport. The airline operates a fleet of Boeing 737-800, 737-900, and 737-MAX8 aircraft across domestic trunk routes (principally Gimpo-Jeju, Gimpo-Busan, Busan-Jeju, and Cheongju-Jeju) and international routes spanning Northeast Asia (Japan, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong), Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Thailand), and Central Asia (Kazakhstan). In 2023 the carrier relaunched under the 'NEW EASTAR' brand, emphasizing safety and convenience.

The core product is a direct-to-consumer booking platform delivered via the eastarjet.com website and a dedicated iOS/Android mobile application, supplemented by a 1544-0080 reservation center and physical counters at Gimpo, Jeju, Cheongju, and Gimhae. A separate E-AGENCY portal serves third-party travel agents. The platform is integrated with KakaoPay, NaverPay, Samsung Pay, and Apple Login, and supports online check-in, mobile boarding passes, KIOSK self check-in, and self bag drop at Incheon and Narita. Biometric boarding is delivered through the Naver Pay / Incheon International Airport Smart Pass initiative rather than a proprietary system. In June 2026 Eastar Jet launched a Ground Operations Integrated Platform that consolidates boarding, baggage, cabin cleaning, refueling, and maintenance into a single mobile-accessible system with real-time cross-station chat.

The revenue model is unit-pricing, pay-as-you-go: passenger ticket sales form the base, with transparent fuel surcharges (KRW 24,200 on major domestic routes) and airport fees (KRW 4,000 domestic / KRW 5,000 Incheon) built into published fares. Six unbundled ancillary streams — designated seating (KRW 2,000-13,000), pre-purchased checked baggage, pre-ordered in-flight meals (KRW 5,000-15,000), pet transportation (KRW 30,000-200,000), in-flight duty-free, and 별별Cafe branded in-flight retail — sit on top of fare revenue, and a STAR Delivery service ships duty-free and retail purchases to passengers' homes. Co-marketing partnerships with Shinhan Card and credit-card-linked promotions round out the commercial mix. The carrier reported a KRW 20.7 billion operating loss for the prior year and has suspended several international routes (Incheon-Guam, Incheon-Los Angeles, Busan-Cebu, Incheon-Phu Quoc) amid elevated jet-fuel costs and a weaker won-dollar exchange rate.

Name

Eastar Jet

Legal name

이스타항공 주식회사 (Eastarjet Co., Ltd.)

Website

https://eastarjet.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Eastar Jet is a privately-held South Korean low-cost carrier founded in 2007, operating domestic routes (mainly to Jeju and Busan) and international routes across Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, and Kazakhstan with Boeing 737 aircraft via a direct-to-consumer booking website and mobile app.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Air Passenger Transportation

NAICS

Air Transportation (481)

SIC

Air Transportation, Scheduled (4512)

akta.pro primary industry

Independent Point-to-Point Regional Airlines (THABACAB)

Keywords

• Low-cost airline
• Air passenger transport
• Domestic flight services
• International flight services
• Budget air travel

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Passenger Ticket Sales: Core revenue stream from passenger air transportation on domestic and international routes. Fares vary by route, season, and fare type (special, discounted, or regular fares).
2. Seat Selection Fees: Pre-assigned seating fees ranging from KRW 2,000 to KRW 13,000 for domestic routes, with emergency exit and front rows commanding premium prices.
3. Extra Baggage: Pre-purchased checked baggage at discounted rates, with 15kg free for discounted/regular fares. Additional baggage sold per kilogram or in weight packages.
4. In-Flight Meals: Pre-ordered in-flight meals including signature bibimbap, bulgogi rice, and various international cuisine options priced from KRW 5,000 to KRW 15,000.
5. Pet Transportation: Pet transport service for cats and dogs in cabin, priced at KRW 30,000 per segment domestically and up to KRW 200,000 for Southeast Asia routes.
6. In-Flight Duty-Free and Products: In-flight duty-free sales and 'Byeongbyeol Cafe' branded products including snacks, beverages, and logo merchandise.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Eastar Jet is a South Korean low-cost carrier providing scheduled passenger air transportation on domestic routes (Gimpo-Jeju, Busan-Jeju, Cheongju-Jeju) and international routes to Japan, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, and Kazakhstan using a Boeing 737 fleet. Revenue is generated through base fares plus ancillary services — designated seat purchase, pre-purchased checked baggage, pre-ordered in-flight meals, pet transportation, in-flight duty-free, and the ByeongbyeolCafe retail brand — distributed via website, mobile app, reservation center, airport counters, and travel agencies.

Product overview

Eastar Jet (이스타항공) is a South Korean low-cost carrier (LCC) offering air transportation services across domestic routes (Seoul/Gimpo-Jeju, Busan-Jeju, Cheongju-Jeju) and international routes to Japan, Northeast Asia (China, Taiwan, Hong Kong), Southeast Asia (Vietnam, Thailand), and Central Asia (Kazakhstan). The core product is the online ticket booking platform accessible via website and mobile app, which integrates with designated seat selection, pre-purchased baggage, and in-flight meal ordering as add-on modules. Additional services include in-flight duty-free shopping, the 별별Cafe retail service, STAR Delivery home shipping, pet transportation, and self-service airport facilities (KIOSK check-in, self bag drop). The airline operates Boeing B737-800, B737-900, and B737-MAX8 aircraft.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Ticket Booking (Website / Mobile App)

Quantifiable outcome

• Operating loss of KRW 20.7 billion last year indicating financial challenges

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Naver PaycoreTechnology or IntegrationEastar Jet participates in Naver Pay's Smart Pass facial recognition departure service at Incheon International Airport. Pre-registered users can pass through checkpoints and boarding gates without presenting passports or boarding passes, integrating with Naver Pay's FaceSign technology.
• Incheon International Airport CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEastar Jet participates in the Incheon Airport Smart Pass facial recognition service. The airport corporation plans to expand Smart Pass dedicated facilities to approximately 50% of airport operational facilities.
• Shinhan CardminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEastar Jet partnered with Shinhan Card to offer July 2026 benefits to cardholders, including promotional pricing and exclusive offers for Shinhan Card customers booking through the partnership.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Jeju Air: South Korea's largest low-cost carrier, listed on KOSDAQ, operating the same Boeing 737 family on identical domestic trunk routes (especially Gimpo-Jeju) and many of the same international destinations in Northeast and Southeast Asia, making it the most directly comparable Korean LCC rival.
• Air Busan: Korean LCC affiliated with Asiana, operating 737/A320 aircraft from Gimhae (Busan) and Incheon on overlapping domestic and Asian international routes to Japan, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia.
• Peach Aviation: Japan-based LCC (formerly ANA affiliate) operating A320 narrowbodies from Japanese regional airports to Korea, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia—comparable in low-cost, point-to-point, leisure-traveller positioning relevant to Eastar Jet's Japan routes.
• Air Seoul: Incheon-based Korean LCC focused on Korea-Japan and other Northeast Asian leisure routes with a narrowbody fleet and ancillary-led model, directly overlapping Eastar Jet's short-haul international network.
• T'way Air: Korean LCC serving domestic routes plus Japan, Southeast Asia, and Europe with a similar Boeing 737 narrowbody fleet and overlapping Gimpo-Jeju/Busan-Jeju capacity, competing head-to-head with Eastar Jet on price and ancillary-driven yields.
• Scoot: Singapore-based LCC subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, operating narrowbody 787/A320 aircraft on medium-haul Asia-Pacific leisure routes—comparable on long-range, point-to-point low-cost positioning relevant to Eastar Jet's international expansion plans.
• Spring Airlines: China's largest LCC operating A320 family aircraft on China-Japan, China-Korea, and other intra-Asia leisure routes—comparable point-to-point, ancillary-heavy, single-fleet strategy targeting price-sensitive Asian travelers.
• Cebu Pacific: Philippines-listed LCC operating a large narrowbody fleet on domestic and intra-Asia leisure routes with an aggressive ancillary model—directly relevant benchmark for Eastar Jet's short-haul Asia strategy and SE Asia exposure (e.g., suspended Busan-Cebu route).
• Jin Air: Korean LCC subsidiary of Korean Air, operating Boeing 737-800s on Korean domestic and intra-Asia leisure routes from Incheon and Gimpo—closely comparable in fleet, customer base, and ancillary strategy to Eastar Jet.

Broad incumbents

• AirAsia Group (AirAsia X/AirAsia Aviation): ASEAN-wide low-cost carrier group serving many of the same Seoul/Korea-to-SEA markets as Eastar Jet via affiliates in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines—an industry bellwether for LCC unit economics across the same Korean and Asian leisure corridors.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@EastarJet_ZE/featured
• Instagraminstagram.com/eastarjet_official
• Facebookfacebook.com/eastarjet

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Eastar Jet