Incheon International Airport

Incheon International Airport
인천국제공항
Aerial view of Incheon International Airport
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner Incheon International Airport Corporation
Operator Incheon International Airport Corporation
Serves Seoul Metro Area
Location Jung District, Incheon, South Korea
Hub for
Focus city for
Elevation AMSL 7 m / 23 ft
Coordinates 37°27′48″N 126°26′24″E / 37.46333°N 126.44000°E / 37.46333; 126.44000Coordinates: 37°27′48″N 126°26′24″E / 37.46333°N 126.44000°E / 37.46333; 126.44000
Website www.airport.kr
Map
ICN
Location in South Korea
ICN
ICN (Asia)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
15R/33L 3,750 12,303 Asphalt
15L/33R 3,750 12,303 Asphalt
16/34 4,000 13,123 Asphalt
Helipads
Number Length Surface
m ft
H1 19 63 Concrete
Statistics (2017)
Aircraft movements 360,295
Passengers 62,082,032
Tonnes of cargo 2,921,691
Statistics from IIAC[1]
Incheon International Airport
Hangul 인천국제공항
Hanja 仁川國際空港
Revised Romanization Incheon gukje gonghang
McCune–Reischauer Inch'ŏn kukche konghang

Incheon International Airport (IIA) (IATA: ICN, ICAO: RKSI) (sometimes referred to as Seoul–Incheon International Airport) is the largest airport in South Korea, the primary airport serving the Seoul Capital Area, and one of the largest and busiest airports in the world. Since 2005, it has been rated the best airport worldwide by Airports Council International every year.[2] It is also rated as the world's cleanest airport and the world's best international transit airport by Skytrax.[3]

The airport has a golf course, spa, private sleeping rooms, an ice skating rink, a casino, indoor gardens, and a Museum of Korean Culture. Airport authorities claim that average departure and arrival takes 19 minutes and 12 minutes, respectively, as compared to worldwide average of 60 minutes and 45 minutes, respectively, ranking it among the fastest airports in the world for customs processing.[4] Its duty-free shopping mall has been rated the world's best for three years in a row in 2013 by Business Traveller.[5] Incheon International Airport also claims that it has only a 0.0001% baggage mishandling rate.[6]

The airport opened for business on March 29, 2001 to replace the older Gimpo International Airport, which now serves mostly domestic destinations and shuttle flights to several East Asian metropolitan areas including Tokyo, Osaka, Beijing, Shanghai, and Taipei.

Incheon International Airport is located west of Incheon's city center, on an artificially created piece of land between Yeongjong and Yongyu Islands. The two islands were originally separated by shallow sea. That area between the two islands was reclaimed for the construction project, effectively connecting the once separate Yeongjong and Yongyu islands. The reclaimed area as well as the two islands are all part of Jung-gu, an administrative district of Incheon.

The airport holds a record of being ranked the Best Airport Worldwide for 11 consecutive years by the Airports Council International (ACI)'s Airport Service Quality Award from 2005 to 2016, and has also been rated the world's best among airports of its size (25–40 million passengers) and region (Asia-Pacific) since 2012 due to the institution's decision to discontinue the Best Airport Worldwide category.

Incheon International Airport's terminal has 111 boarding gates altogether, with 44 in Terminal 1, 30 in Concourse A (connected to terminal 1), and 37 in Terminal 2.

The airport was constructed to share the demand for air transport in the 21st century and to serve as a hub airport in Northeast Asia.[7]

Inside the Incheon Airport

History

Location of Incheon International Airport on reclaimed land joining Yeongjong and Yongyu Islands
Incheon Airport from the air, 2003

After the Seoul Olympics of 1988, international air traffic to Korea increased. In the 1990s, it became apparent that Gimpo International Airport could not cope with the increase in air traffic. To reduce the load on Gimpo International Airport, the government decided to build a new airport.

The new airport was originally planned to be located in Cheongju, 124 km from Seoul, but due to its distance, it was opposed by Seoul and Gyeonggi citizens. Hwaseong was the other choice, but it was also rejected due to similar reasons. Finally the area chosen was Incheon.

In November 1992, the construction of the Incheon airport began on reclaimed land between Yeongjong Island and Youngyu Island, and took eight years to finish, with an additional six months for testing. Completion was initially scheduled for 1997 but delayed due to the economic crisis. The airport was officially opened on March 29, 2001.

On 15 November 2006, the Airbus A380 landed at the airport as part of the first leg of its certification trip. Tests on the runways, taxiways, and ramps showed that the airport could handle the aircraft.

To further upgrade service, Incheon and major Korean logistics firm Hanjin Corporation (parent company of Korean Air) agreed on January 10, 2008 to build Yeongjong Medical Centre, which was completed in 2012. This hospital serves nearby residents and some of the 30,000 medical tourists who come to Korea annually.[8]

Statistics

Located 48 km (30 mi) west of Seoul, the capital and the largest city of South Korea, Incheon International Airport is the main hub for Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, and Polar Air Cargo. The airport serves as a hub for international civilian air transportation and cargo traffic in East Asia. In 2016, the Incheon International Airport was the fifth busiest airport in the world and third in Asia by cargo traffic, and 19th in the world and eighth in Asia by passenger traffic. In 2016, the airport served a total of 57,849,814 passengers.

The airport opened for business in early 2001 to replace the older Gimpo International Airport, which now serves mostly domestic destinations plus shuttle flights to alternate airports in China, Japan, and Taiwan.

Construction phases

Future expansion plans for Incheon International Airport

The airport was originally planned to be built in three phases, incrementally increasing airport capacity as the demand grew. This was changed, however, to four phases after the airport was opened.

Phase 1

In Phase 1, the airport had a capacity of 30 million passengers annually, and a cargo capacity of 1.7 million metric tonnes annually. In this phase, a passenger terminal with a floor space of 496,000 square metres (5,340,000 sq ft), two parallel runways, a control tower, an administrative building, a transportation centre (the Integrated Transportation Centre, designed by Terry Farrell and Partners and Samoo Architects & Engineers), and integrated operations centre, three cargo terminals, international business centre, and a government office building were constructed.

Phase 2

Phase 2 construction began in 2002, and was originally expected to be completed in December 2008. However, in an attempt to have the airport ready for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, which took place in August 2008, the schedule was modified, and Phase 2 construction was completed on 20 June 2008. During this construction phase, a third parallel 4,000-metre-long (13,000 ft) runway and a 13-hectare cargo terminal area were added. A 16.5-hectare concourse connected to the main passenger building via two parallel 870-metre-long (2,850 ft) underground passageways was added, with a Mitsubishi Crystal Mover shuttle train APM shuttling passengers between the concourse and the main terminal.[9]

Many long-distance foreign carriers were moved to the new concourse, with Korean Air and Asiana Airlines continuing to use the existing terminal.

Phase 3

The South Korean government invested ₩4 trillion until 2017 to expand Incheon International Airport. The second passenger terminal was constructed in the northern field of the airport, and its existing cargo terminal and other infrastructures were expanded. The terminals are connected to each other by the underground "Starline" train. Also, a Landside Connecting system (Bus shuttle) is used for airport employees and departing passengers who don't come to the right terminal. After completion, Incheon International Airport is able to handle 62 million passengers and 5.8 million tons of cargo a year, up from the previous capacity of 44 million passengers and 4.5 million tons. Construction began in 2011 and was completed in 2017. The terminal opened on January 18th 2018. Incheon's expansion also include adding more aprons to park planes and extending a railway line to the city center of Seoul about 70 kilometres (43 mi) away from the airport. The airport also signed an agreement to build a resort called "Inspire" which includes 6-star hotels, theme parks, and a casino.[10]

Phase 4

Estimated to be completed in 2020, this is the final and the ultimate construction stage. Upon completion, the airport will have two passenger terminals, four satellite concourses, 128 gates, and five parallel runways (one exclusively for cargo flights).[11] It will be able to handle 100 million passengers and 7 million metric tonnes of cargo annually, with further possible expansions. The airport is projected to be transformed into one of the ten busiest airports in the world by 2020.

Terminals

Airport layout

Terminal 1

Terminal 1 (measuring 496,000 square meters) is the largest airport terminal in area in South Korea. Terminal 1 was designed by Curtis W. Fentress, FAIA, RIBA of Fentress Architects. It is 1,060 metres (3,480 ft) long, 149 metres (489 ft) wide, and 33 metres (108 ft) high. Its construction cost was 1.3816 trillion South Korean Won. The terminal has 44 boarding ports (all of which can accommodate the Airbus A380), 50 customs inspection ports, 2 biological quarantine counters, 6 stationary and 14 portable passenger quarantine counters, 120 arrival passport inspection counters, 8 arrival security ports, 28 departure security ports, 252 check in counters, and 120 departure passport inspection counters. In 2015, an automatic check-in counter lane was introduced, where people traveling via Korean Air, Asiana Airlines and China Southern Airlines can use. Instead of having airport staff at the counter, there is a machine where travelers input their flight information, scan their passports, receive their flight tickets and lastly, load the luggage onto the conveyor. This system was planned to be introduced in Terminal 2, but in May 2015 Incheon Airport used one of the counter islands for the unmanned luggage handling system.[12]

Concourse

Concourse building under construction

The passenger concourse was completed at the end of May 2008. It is connected to Terminal 1 by two parallel 870-metre-long (2,850 ft) underground passageways equipped with IATs (Intra Airport Transit). It has 30 gates and six lounges (Asiana Airlines/Star Alliance, Singapore Airlines/Star Alliance, Cathay Pacific/Oneworld, Japan Airlines/Oneworld, Korean Air/SkyTeam, and China Eastern Airlines/SkyTeam).

Terminal 2

A new passenger terminal opened on January 18, 2018. Korean Air, KLM, Delta Air Lines, and Air France were relocated from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2. Other SkyTeam members such as Aeromexico, Alitalia, China Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, XiamenAir, Czech Airlines and Aeroflot will be served in Terminal 2 from October 2018. The rest of SkyTeam members such as Vietnam Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines will be served in Terminal 2 after the Phase 4 construction work is complete.[13]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

AirlinesDestinations
Aeroflot Khabarovsk, Moscow–Sheremetyevo, Vladivostok, Yuzhno–Sakhalinsk
Aeroméxico Mexico City
AirAsia X Kuala Lumpur–International
Air Astana Almaty, Astana
Air Canada Toronto–Pearson, Vancouver
Air China Beijing–Capital, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dandong, Hangzhou, Tianjin, Wenzhou, Yanji
Air France Paris–Charles de Gaulle
Air India Delhi, Hong Kong, Mumbai
Air Macau Macau
Air Seoul Da Nang,[14] Fukuoka,[15] Guam, Hiroshima, Hong Kong, Kalibo, Kota Kinabalu, Kumamoto, Nagasaki, Naha,[16] Osaka–Kansai, Shizuoka, Siem Reap, Takamatsu, Tokyo–Narita, Toyama, Ube, Yonago
Alitalia Rome–Fiumicino
American Airlines Dallas/Fort Worth
Asiana Airlines Almaty, Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Barcelona,[17] Beijing–Capital, Busan, Cebu, Changchun, Changsha, Chengdu, Chicago–O'Hare, Chongqing, Clark, Da Nang, Dalian, Delhi, Frankfurt, Fukuoka, Guangzhou, Guilin, Hangzhou, Hanoi, Harbin, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Istanbul–Atatürk, Jakarta–Soekarno–Hatta, Khabarovsk, Koror, London–Heathrow, Los Angeles, Manila, Miyazaki, Nagoya–Centrair, Naha, Nanjing, New York–JFK, Osaka–Kansai, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Phnom Penh, Phuket, Qingdao, Rome–Fiumicino, Saipan, San Francisco, Sapporo–Chitose, Seattle/Tacoma, Sendai, Shanghai–Pudong, Shenzhen, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tashkent, Tianjin, Tokyo–Haneda, Tokyo–Narita, Venice,[17] Weihai, Xi'an, Yancheng, Yanji, Yantai, Yuzhno–Sakhalinsk
British Airways London–Heathrow
Cathay Pacific Hong Kong, Taipei–Taoyuan
Cebu Pacific Cebu, Kalibo, Manila
China Airlines Kaohsiung, Taipei–Taoyuan
China Eastern Airlines Changsha, Jinan,[18] Kunming, Nanjing, Qingdao, Shanghai–Pudong, Weihai, Xi'an, Yancheng, Yantai
China Southern Airlines Beijing–Capital, Changsha, Changchun, Dalian, Guangzhou, Guiyang, Harbin, Mudanjiang, Shanghai–Pudong, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Yanji, Zhengzhou
Seasonal: Nanning, Urumqi
Czech Airlines Prague
Delta Air Lines Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul (begins 2 April 2019),[19] Seattle/Tacoma
Eastar Jet Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Da Nang, Fukuoka, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Ibaraki, Kagoshima, Kota Kinabalu, Miyazaki, Okinawa, Osaka–Kansai, Saipan, Sapporo–Chitose, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tokyo–Haneda,[20] Tokyo–Narita
Seasonal: Vladivostok[21]
Emirates Dubai–International
Ethiopian Airlines Addis Ababa, Tokyo–Narita[22]
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi
EVA Air Kaohsiung, Taichung, Taipei–Taoyuan
Finnair Helsinki
Garuda Indonesia Denpasar/Bali, Jakarta–Soekarno–Hatta
Hawaiian Airlines Honolulu
Hong Kong Airlines Hong Kong
HK Express Hong Kong
JC International Airlines Siem Reap
Jeju Air Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Cebu, Chiang Mai,[23] Da Nang, Fukuoka, Guam, Haikou,[24] Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Jiamusi, Kagoshima,[25] Kaohsiung, Kota Kinabalu, Macau, Manila, Matsuyama, Nagoya–Centrair, Naha, Osaka–Kansai, Qingdao, Saipan, Sanya, Sapporo–Chitose, Shijiazhuang, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tokyo–Haneda,[26] Tokyo–Narita, Vientiane, Vladivostok, Weihai, Yantai[27]
Jetstar Pacific Da Nang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City
Jin Air Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Cebu, Clark, Da Nang, Fukuoka, Guam, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Kitakyushu, Kota Kinabalu, Macau, Okinawa–Naha, Osaka–Kansai, Saipan, Sapporo–Chitose, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tokyo–Narita, Vientiane
Seasonal: Cairns, Johor Bahru[28]
KLM Amsterdam
Korean Air Amsterdam, Aomori, Atlanta, Auckland, Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Barcelona, Beijing–Capital, Boston (begins 12 April 2019),[29] Brisbane, Busan, Cebu, Changsha, Chiang Mai, Chicago–O'Hare, Colombo, Da Nang, Daegu, Dalian, Dallas/Fort Worth, Delhi, Denpasar/Bali, Dubai–International, Frankfurt, Fukuoka, Guam, Guangzhou, Guiyang, Hanoi, Hefei, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Huangshan, Istanbul–Atatürk, Jakarta–Soekarno–Hatta, Jinan, Kagoshima, Kathmandu, Komatsu, Koror, Kuala Lumpur–International, Kunming, Las Vegas, London–Heathrow, Los Angeles, Madrid, Malé, Manila, Milan–Malpensa, Moscow–Sheremetyevo, Mumbai, Nadi, Nagoya–Centrair, Naha, Nanning (ends 26 October 2018)[30], New York–JFK, Nha Trang, Niigata, Okayama, Osaka–Kansai, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Phnom Penh, Phuket, Prague, Qingdao, Rome–Fiumicino, San Francisco, Sapporo–Chitose, Seattle/Tacoma, Shanghai–Pudong, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tashkent, Tel Aviv–Ben Gurion, Tianjin, Tokyo–Haneda, Tokyo–Narita, Toronto–Pearson, Ulaanbaatar, Vancouver, Vienna, Vladivostok, Washington–Dulles, Weihai, Wuhan, Xi'an, Xiamen, Yangon, Yanji, Zhengzhou, Zagreb,[31] Zürich
Charter: Mataram–Lombok[32]
Seasonal: Akita, Saint Petersburg, Irkutsk, Urumqi[33]
Seasonal charter: Marseille,[34] Oslo–Gardermoen, Sanya
Lao Airlines Vientiane
Lion Air Charter: Batam[35]
LOT Polish Airlines Warsaw–Chopin
Lufthansa Frankfurt, Munich
Malaysia Airlines Kuala Lumpur–International
MIAT Mongolian Airlines Ulaanbaatar
Pan Pacific Airlines Cebu,[36] Kalibo
Peach Aviation Okinawa–Naha, Osaka–Kansai, Tokyo–Haneda
Philippine Airlines Cebu, Clark, Kalibo, Manila, Puerto Princesa (ends 27 October 2018),[37] Tagbilaran
Seasonal: Bacolod
Philippines AirAsia Cebu, Kalibo, Manila
Qatar Airways Doha
Royal Brunei Airlines Bandar Seri Begawan[38]
S7 Airlines Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, Vladivostok
Scoot Singapore, Taipei–Taoyuan
Shandong Airlines Jinan, Qingdao, Yantai
Shenzhen Airlines Shenzhen
Sichuan Airlines Chengdu
Singapore Airlines Los Angeles (ends 30 November 2018),[39] Singapore
Sky Angkor Airlines Siem Reap, Sihanoukville
Spring Airlines Shanghai–Pudong, Shijiazhuang
Thai AirAsia X Bangkok–Don Mueang
Thai Airways Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Hong Kong (ends 27 October 2018),[40] Taipei–Taoyuan
Tianjin Airlines Tianjin
Turkish Airlines Istanbul–Atatürk
T'way Air Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Da Nang, Fukuoka, Guam, Haikou, Ho Chi Minh City, Jinan, Kaohsiung, Kumamoto, Macau, Naha, Oita, Qingdao, Osaka–Kansai, Saga, Saipan, Sapporo–Chitose, Taichung, Tokyo–Narita, Vientiane, Weihai[41]
Uni Air Taipei–Taoyuan
United Airlines San Francisco
Uzbekistan Airways Tashkent
VietJet Air Da Nang, Hai Phong, Nha Trang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Phu Quoc (begins 23 December 2018)[42]
Vietnam Airlines Da Nang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang[43]
XiamenAir Xiamen
Yakutia Airlines Yakutsk
Seasonal: Blagoveshchensk, Ulan–Ude

Cargo

AirlinesDestinations
Air China Cargo Beijing–Capital, Shanghai–Pudong
Air France Cargo Paris–Charles de Gaulle
Air Incheon Jinan, Qingdao, Tokyo–Haneda, Tokyo–Narita, Ulaanbaatar, Yantai, Yuzhno–Sakhalinsk
AirBridgeCargo Moscow–Domodedovo, Moscow–Sheremetyevo, Saint Petersburg
ANA Cargo Okinawa—Naha, Osaka–Kansai, Tokyo–Narita
Asiana Cargo Anchorage, Atlanta, Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Beijing–Capital, Brussels, Chicago–O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Frankfurt, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, London–Stansted, Los Angeles, Manila, Miami, Milan–Malpensa, Moscow–Domodedovo, Nagoya–Centrair, New York–JFK, Osaka–Kansai, San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma, Shanghai–Pudong, Singapore, Tianjin, Tokyo–Narita, Vienna, Yantai
Atlas Air Vancouver
Cargolux Luxembourg City
Cathay Pacific Cargo Hong Kong, Osaka–Kansai
China Cargo Airlines Shanghai–Pudong
China Postal Airlines Beijing–Capital, Xi'an, Yantai
DHL Aviation Anchorage, Cincinnati, Hong Kong, Leipzig/Halle, Los Angeles,[44] Singapore
Emirates SkyCargo Dubai–Al Maktoum, Osaka–Kansai
Etihad Cargo Abu Dhabi
FedEx Express Anchorage, Beijing–Capital, Guangzhou, Los Angeles, Memphis, Shanghai–Pudong
Hong Kong Airlines Cargo Hong Kong
Korean Air Cargo Amsterdam, Atlanta, Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Basel/Mulhouse, Beijing–Capital, Bogotá, Boston, Brussels, Campinas, Chicago–O'Hare, Chennai, Cheongju, Copenhagen, Dallas/Fort Worth, Delhi,[45] Frankfurt, Guadalajara, Guangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Istanbul–Atatürk, Jakarta–Soekarno–Hatta, Kuala Lumpur–International, Lima, London–Heathrow, London–Stansted, Los Angeles, Manila, Miami, Milan–Malpensa, Moscow–Sheremetyevo, Mumbai, Navoi, New York–JFK, Osaka–Kansai, Oslo–Gardermoen, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Penang, Qingdao, San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma, Shanghai–Pudong, Singapore, Stockholm–Arlanda, Sydney, Tel Aviv–Ben Gurion, Tokyo–Narita, Toronto–Pearson, Vancouver, Vienna, Xiamen, Zaragoza
Lufthansa Cargo Frankfurt, Krasnoyarsk
Nippon Cargo Airlines Osaka–Kansai, Shanghai–Pudong, Tokyo–Narita
Okay Airways Cargo Tianjin
Qantas Freight Chicago–O'Hare, Sydney
Qatar Airways Cargo Doha
SF Airlines Zhengzhou
Silk Way Airlines Baku
Sky Lease Cargo Miami
Suparna Airlines Hangzhou, Qingdao, Shanghai–Pudong
Turkish Airlines Cargo Almaty, Bishkek, Istanbul–Atatürk, Taipei-Taoyuan, Tashkent[46]
UPS Airlines Almaty, Anchorage, Hong Kong, Qingdao, Shenzhen, Taipei–Taoyuan, Zhengzhou
Uzbekistan Airways Cargo Tehran–Imam Khomeini
Volga-Dnepr Airlines Krasnoyarsk

Traffic and statistics

Korean Air planes awaiting departure
Korean Air A330 taxiing out at Incheon Airport

In 2017, the airport was the world's fourth busiest airport by cargo traffic and third in Asia,[47] and the world's 19th busiest airport by passenger traffic and ninth in Asia.[48] In 2017, the airport served a total of 62,082,032 passengers.

Top destinations

Busiest international routes (2017)
Rank Airport Passengers Operating Airlines
1 Hong Kong 3,446,446 Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Eastar Jet, Air Seoul, Air India, Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airlines, HK Express, Thai Airways
2 Osaka–Kansai 3,177,633 Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, Jin Air, T'way Airlines, Eastar Jet, Air Seoul, Peach
3 Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi 2,621,066 Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, Jin Air, T'way Airlines, Eastar Jet, Thai Airways, Thai AirAsia X
4 Tokyo–Narita 2,405,948 Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, Jin Air, T'way Airlines, Eastar Jet, Air Seoul, Ethiopian Airlines
5 Taipei–Taoyuan 2,395,486 Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Eastar Jet, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, EVA Air, Scoot, Thai Airways, Uni Air
6 Fukuoka 2,236,038 Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, Jin Air, T'way Airlines, Eastar Jet, Air Seoul
7 Shanghai–Pudong 1,717,336 Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Shanghai Airlines, Spring Airlines
8 Hanoi 1,629,120 Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Eastar Jet, VietJet Air, Vietnam Airlines
9 Manila 1,544,053 Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, AirAsia Zest
10 Qingdao 1,467,890 Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, China Eastern Airlines, Shandong Airlines
11 Da Nang 1,433,652 Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, Jin Air, T'way Airlines, Eastar Jet, Air Seoul, VietJet Air, Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar Airways
12 Singapore 1,426,132 Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Singapore Airlines
13 Ho Chi Minh City 1,374,385 Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, T'way Airlines, VietJet Air, Vietnam Airlines
14 Los Angeles 1,144,288 Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Singapore Airlines
15 Cebu 1,078,918 Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, AirAsia Zest, Pan Pacific Airlines
16 Guam 1,043,747 Korean Air, Jeju Air, Jin Air, T'way Airlines, Air Seoul
17 Beijing–Capital 915,740 Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Air China, China Southern Airlines
18 Okinawa-Naha 908,982 Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, Jin Air, T'way Airlines, Eastar Jet, Peach
19 Sapporo-New Chitose 873,656 Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, Jin Air, T'way Airlines, Eastar Jet
20 Kuala Lumpur 832,382 Korean Air, AirAsia X, Malaysia Airlines
Source: Korea Airpotal

Domestic destinations are shown below:

Domestic routes (2017)
Rank Airport Aircraft

Operations

 Passengers
1 Busan 3,567 428,643
2 Daegu 1,454 113,915
3 Jeju 111 18,761
4 Ulsan 1 141
Source: KAC Airport statics

Annual traffic

Years Aircraft

Operations

 Passengers Cargo
2001 86,807 14,542,290 1,186,015
2002 126,094 20,924,171 1,705,928
2003 130,185 19,789,874 1,843,055
2004 149,776 24,084,072 2,133,444
2005 160,843 26,051,466 2,150,139
2006 182,007 28,191,116 2,336,571
2007 211,404 31,227,897 2,555,580
2008 211,102 29,973,522 2,423,717
2009 198,918 28,549,770 2,313,002
2010 214,835 33,478,925 2,684,499
2011 229,580 35,062,366 2,539,222
2012 254,037 38,970,864 2,456,724
2013 271,224 41,482,828 2,464,385
2014 290,043 45,512,099 2,557,681
2015 305,446 49,281,220 2,595,677
2016 339,673 57,765,397 2,714,341
2017 360,295 62,082,032 2,921,691
Source: IIAC Airport Statistics[1]

Top carriers

In 2017, the twelve carriers with the largest percentage of passengers flying into, out of, or through Incheon are as follows:

Top Carriers (2017)[49]
Rank Carrier Aircraft

Operations

 Passengers %
1 Korean Air 92,267 16,802,028 27.06%
2 Asiana Airlines 64,336 11,967,962 19.28%
3 Jeju Air 26,882 4,568,056 7.36%
4 Jin Air 19,598 3,996,985 6.44%
5 T'way Air 13,211 2,171,213 3.50%
6 Eastar Jet 12,443 2,017,833 3.25%
7 China Eastern Airlines 10,971 1,453,834 2.34%
8 China Southern Airlines 11,053 1,399,393 2.25%
9 Cathay Pacific 4,476 1,043,579 1.68%
10 Air Seoul 5,837 826,908 1.33%
11 Thai Airways 2,920 798,994 1.29%
12 Philippine Airlines 4,049 762,566 1.23%

Accolades

Incheon International airport has been the recipient of a number of awards since its opening, including:

  • Best Airport Worldwide at the first Airport Service Quality Awards in 2007.[50]
  • Won the GT Tested Award for Best Airport in the World in January 2007.[51]
  • Named by Global Traveler (GT) as the Best Airport in the World for the second straight year in January 2008.[8]
  • Named World's Best Airport for 2009, in the World Airport Survey results published by Skytrax.
  • In 2012 it was ranked the best airport in the world by Skytrax.[52]
YearAwardCategoryResultsRef
2009Airport Service Quality Awards
by Airports Council International		Best Airport WorldwideWon[53]
Best Airport in Asia-PacificWon
Best Airport by Size (25–40 million passengers)Won
2010Best Airport WorldwideWon[54]
2011Won[55]

Accidents and incidents

On 16 June 2011, Airbus A321-200 Flight 324 operated by Asiana Airlines HL7763 between Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport, China and Incheon International Airport was fired upon by two soldiers of the Republic of Korea Marine Corps as it came in to land at Incheon. A total of 99 rounds were discharged at the aircraft, which was out of range and made a safe landing without sustaining any damage. The soldiers had misidentified the aircraft as belonging to the North Korean military, and were acting on orders that gave them permission to engage without reference to senior officers, following the Bombardment of Yeonpyeong in November 2010.[56]

Ground transport

A deluxe limousine bus at Incheon Airport bound for Jamsil Subway Station in Seoul.
A limousine bus at Incheon Airport bound for Jamsil Subway Station in Seoul

Public transport

Bus

Airport shuttle buses transport passengers between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Buses are free, arrive every 5 to 8 minutes, take approximately 20 minutes travel time, and stop at the Hyatt Hotel or airport fire station in route depending on which direction you are traveling.

Airport buses are called limousine buses. Standard limousine buses travel to Gimpo Airport & Songjeong Station.

Intercity buses connect with other towns and cities in Korea.

The Korea City Air Terminal in Gangnam is linked with the airport through limousine buses.[57]

AREX 2000 series EMU with commuter train service

Rail

The Airport Railroad Express (AREX and styled as A'REX) has a station located in the Transport Centre adjacent to the Terminal 1 building and is in the basement of Terminal 2. It provides service to Gimpo International Airport and Seoul. Many of the stations along the line provide connections to Incheon Subway, Seoul Metropolitan Subway, and Incheon Airport Maglev.

For departing passengers, Seoul Station City Airport Terminal has check-in and immigration facilities before arrival at the airport.

The Korea Train eXpress (KTX) operated at the same station as AREX but used a different platform. It operated 20 times per day from the airport; twelve times on the Gyeonbu Line, twice on the Gyeonjeon Line, four times on the Honam Line, and twice on the Jeolla Line. The service started in 2014 but was suspended in March 2018 due to low ridership.[58] The suspension became permanent in September 2018 as the line was officially abolished.[59][60]

The Incheon Airport Maglev opened in February 2016. The first phase is 6.1 km long, spread over six stations, taking riders from the airport toward the south-west of the island where a water park is located. Phase 2 will be 9.7 km long, extending the line to the north-west of the island. Phase 3 will add 37.4 km, transforming the line into a circle.[61][62][63]

Incheon Airport rail terminal for AREX and formerly KTX

Ferry

A ferry service connects Yeongjong-do to the mainland. However, the dock is located a considerable distance from the airport. An alternative means of transport must be sought upon arriving at the island to be able to get to the airport.[64]

Car

The airport provides a short term parking lot for 4,000 cars and a long-term parking lot for 6,000 cars. Shuttle services connect the long-term parking lot to the passenger terminal and the cargo terminal. Car rental is located near the long-term parking lot. A link to the mainland is provided by the toll Yeongjong Bridge and an expressway; A second expressway on the Incheon Bridge also connects the island but to central Incheon.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Airport Statistics". Retrieved February 15, 2017.
  2. ↑ The Korea Herald. "Incheon Airport tops service quality for 9th year". Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  3. ↑ "The World's Best Airports for Transit Passengers". Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  4. ↑ "Incheon International named Best Airport Worldwide 7 years in a row". Rus Tourism News. 2012-02-21. Retrieved 2013-07-04.
  5. ↑ "인천공항 면세점, 3년연속 '세계 최고 면세점 선정' - Chosunbiz - 프리미엄 경제 파워". Biz.chosun.com. 2013-01-01. Retrieved 2013-07-04.
  6. ↑ "25 Reasons Incheon International Airport is the Best Airport in the World". Seulistic. 12 July 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
  7. ↑ "인천국제공항" (in Korean). Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  8. 1 2
  9. ↑ "Incheon Airport to Open New Concourse". Koreatimes.co.kr. 29 May 2008. Retrieved 28 November 2010.
  10. ↑ "Incheon Airport to Have New Terminal by 2017". Korea Herald. 29 June 2009. Retrieved 29 June 2009.
  11. ↑ Park, Sungsoon (September 2016). "Incheon Airport - Airport City" (PDF). Airports Council International - North America (ACI-NA).
  12. ↑ Future Travel Experience. "Incheon Airport launches new self-service bag drop system". Future Travel Experience. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  13. ↑ 구정모. "인천공항, 2018년 제2여객터미널에 대한항공 배치". 연합뉴스. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  14. ↑ 2018, UBM (UK) Ltd. "Air Seoul schedules new routes in S18".
  15. ↑ "Air Seoul adds Fukuoka service from late-Aug 2018". routesonline. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  16. ↑ "Air Seoul plans Okianwa launch in Sep 2018". routesonline. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
  17. 1 2 "Asiana Airlines S18 Long-Haul changes as of 17NOV17". Routesonline. Retrieved 20 November 2017.
  18. ↑ "Sina Visitor System". weibo.com.
  19. ↑
  20. ↑ EastarJet adds Seoul Incheon – Tokyo Haneda in Sep/Oct 2018 Routesonline. 20 August 2018.
  21. ↑ EastarJet adds Vladivostok service from June 2018 Routesonline. 17 May 2018.
  22. ↑ "Ethiopian Airlines East Asia routing changes from June 2018". Routesonline. Retrieved 13 November 2017.
  23. ↑ Jeju Air adds Chiang Mai service in W17 Routesonline. 21 December 2017.
  24. ↑ https://pulsenews.co.kr/view.php?year=2018&no=539275
  25. ↑ "Jeju Air plans 2 new routes in 1Q18". routesonline. Retrieved 30 November 2017.
  26. ↑ "Jeju Air adds Seoul Incheon – Tokyo Haneda service from August 2018". routesonline. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
  27. ↑ 2018, UBM (UK) Ltd. "Jeju Air resumes Yantai service from April 2018".
  28. ↑ "Jin Air expands Malaysia service in 1Q18". Routesonline. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  29. ↑ "A new era for Delta Airlines and Korean Air: Boston to Seoul an aviation first". Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  30. ↑ "Korean Air ends Nanning service in late-Oct 2018". Routesonline. 4 October 2018.
  31. ↑ Korean Air schedules Zagreb regular service in Sep/Oct 2018 Routesonline. 30 May 2018.
  32. ↑ Post, The Jakarta. "Korean Air opens up chartered flights to Lombok".
  33. ↑ Korean Air increases Urumqi service in S18 Routesonline. 17 April 2018.
  34. ↑ "Korean Air Schedules Marseille Charters in 16Q3". routesonline.com. 22 June 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  35. ↑ 2018, UBM (UK) Ltd. "Lion Air adds Korea charters from Batam in Jan 2018".
  36. ↑ "Pan Pacific Airlines - Schedule". Pan Pacific Airlines.
  37. ↑ 2018, UBM (UK) Ltd. "Philippine Airlines adds South Korea links from Palawan in S18".
  38. ↑ "RB introduces direct twice-weekly flights to South Korea". 27 November 2017.
  39. ↑ "SIA To Launch Non-Stop Los Angeles Services And Increase Non-Stop San Francisco Frequency". www.singaporeair.com. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
  40. ↑ 2018, UBM (UK) Ltd. "Thai Airways International ends Hong Kong – Seoul service in late-Oct 2018".
  41. ↑ 2018, UBM (UK) Ltd. "T'Way Air adds Seoul Incheon – Weihai service from April 2018".
  42. ↑ "Vietjet Air adds Phu Quoc – Seoul service from Dec 2018". routesonline. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  43. ↑ 2018, UBM (UK) Ltd. "Vietnam Airlines boosts Seoul service in S18". Routesonline.
  44. ↑ "Polar Air Cargo 997". Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  45. ↑ "Korean Air launches cargo flights to Delhi, India - Travel News - eTurboNews". 10 July 2018.
  46. ↑ 2018, UBM (UK) Ltd. "Turkish Cargo adds 7 destinations in Jan 2018".
  47. ↑ "Top 20 cargo airports in 2017 | Cargo Facts". cargofacts.com. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
  48. ↑ "The world's busiest airport revealed". CNN Travel. 2018-04-09. Retrieved 2018-08-22.
  49. ↑ "항공통계". 항공통계. Retrieved 22 Aug 2018.
  50. ↑ Archived 16 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine.
  51. ↑ "Premium Travelers Name Incheon International Top Airport Global Traveler Readers have Chosen the Airport as the Best in the World". PR Web Website. 21 January 2007. Retrieved 27 January 2006.
  52. ↑ "Incheon International Airport is named the World's Best Airport in 2012 by airline travelers". Worldairportawards.com. Archived from the original on 3 August 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  53. ↑ "ACI Airport Service Quality Awards 2009, Asia Pacific airports sweep top places in worldwide awards" Airports Council International. 16 February 2010. Retrieved 2012-04-13
  54. ↑ "ASQ Award for winners for 2010". Airports Council International. Retrieved 13 April 2012.
  55. ↑ "World's best airports announced -- Asia dominates". CNN Go. 15 February 2012. Archived from the original on 9 April 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
  56. ↑ Hradecky, Simon. "Incident: Asiana A321 near Seoul on Jun 17th 2011, aircraft under fire". The Aviation Herald. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
  57. ↑ "Incheon Airport Bus Station". Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  58. ↑ Medimorec, Nikola (10 June 2018). "Incheon Airport KTX Service Suspended". Kojects. Retrieved 9 July 2018. In 2014, KORAIL began to offer KTX high-speed train connections from Incheon International Airport to Seoul, Daegu, Busan and other cities in Korea. The Incheon Airport KTX service was suspended now at the end of March 2018. The main reason was that the demand was too low and ridership stayed far below necessary numbers.
  59. ↑ 박, 재균 (7 August 2018). "9월부터 인천공항 KTX 노선 폐지". FNToday (in Korean). Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  60. ↑ 민, 경석 (7 August 2018). "2014년 개통한 '인천공항 KTX' 폐지". News1 (in Korean). Retrieved 10 August 2018.
  61. ↑ Medimorec, Nikola (28 January 2012). "Maglev at Incheon International Airport to be completed this year". Kojects. Retrieved 10 July 2018. Two more stages of construction are planned for the line; stage two is a 9.7km extension that continues from Yongyoo Station, past the planned Marine World and up to Dragon City. Though this stage was originally scheduled to be completed in time for the Asian Games, setbacks in the development of neighboring projects are still causing delays. The final stage will be significantly longer, a 37.4km extension that continues around the outer rim of the island and loop back to the airport.
  62. ↑ Han, Woojin. "영종자기부상열차 2단계". 미래철도DB (in Korean). Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  63. ↑ Song, C. H.; Park, K.S.; Kim, C. K. (10–13 October 2011). Review on Incheon International Airport & Urban MagLev Interface. The 21st International Conference on Magnetically Levitated Systems and Linear Drives. Daejeon, Korea. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 December 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2018. Phase 2 expansion line is planned to link coastal area and cover 9.7km with 5 train stations up to the international business complex II of IIA and Phase 3 or the last phase expansion line is designed to be a ring-type alignment circumnavigating Yeongjong Island around IIA, covering 37.4km with 16 train stations.
  64. ↑ "Transport in Yeongjongdo & Muuido - Lonely Planet Travel Information". lonelyplanet.com. Lonely Planet. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
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