Incheon International Airport

Incheon International Airport (IIA) (Korean: 인천국제공항) (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.[3] It is also rated as the world's cleanest airport and the world's best international transit airport by Skytrax.[4]

Incheon International Airport

인천국제공항
Aerial view of Incheon International Airport
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerIncheon International Airport Corporation
OperatorIncheon International Airport Corporation
ServesSeoul Capital Area
LocationJung District, Incheon, South Korea
Hub for
Focus city for
Elevation AMSL7 m / 23 ft
Coordinates37°27′48″N 126°26′24″E
Websitewww.airport.kr
Maps

Incheon in South Korea
ICN/RKSI
Location in Incheon , South Korea
ICN/RKSI
ICN/RKSI (Asia)
ICN/RKSI
ICN/RKSI (Earth)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
15R/33L 3,750 12,303 Asphalt
15L/33R 3,750 12,303 Asphalt
16L/34R 4,000 13,123 Asphalt
Helipads
Number Length Surface
m ft
H1 19 63 Concrete
Statistics (2019)
Passengers 71,169,516
Aircraft movements 404,104
Tonnes of cargo 2,764,369
Statistics from KAC[1][2]
Incheon International Airport
Hangul
Hanja
Revised RomanizationIncheon gukje gonghang
McCune–ReischauerInch'ŏn kukche konghang

The airport has a golf course, spa,[5] private sleeping rooms, an ice skating rink, a casino, indoor gardens, video game center 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.[6] Its duty-free shopping mall has been rated the world's best for three years in a row in 2013 by Business Traveller.[7] Incheon International Airport also claims that it has only a 0.0001% baggage mishandling rate.[8]

The airport opened for business on 29 March 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.[9]

Incheon International Airport was named the winner of World’s Best Transit Airport in 2020.[10] Terminal 2 at Incheon International Airport was named World’s Best Airport Terminal in 2020.[11]

Departure hall at Terminal 1
Arrival hall at Terminal 1

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

After the 1988 Summer Olympics, 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 international 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.[12] The airport was officially opened on 21 March 2001.

On 15 November 2006, the Airbus A380 landed at the airport as part of the first leg of its certification trip.[13] 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 10 January 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.[14]

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 Osaka, Shanghai, Taipei and Tokyo.

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.[15]

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 18 January 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.[16]

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).[17] 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 (Before the opening of Terminal 2)

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.[18]

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[19] (Asiana Airlines/Star Alliance, Singapore Airlines/Star Alliance, Japan Airlines/Oneworld, Korean Air/SkyTeam, and China Eastern Airlines/SkyTeam).

Terminal 2
Terminal 2

A new passenger terminal opened on 18 January 2018, and Korean Air, KLM, Delta Air Lines, and Air France flights were relocated from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2. Other SkyTeam members such as Aeromexico, Alitalia, China Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, XiamenAir, Czech Airlines and Aeroflot started serving the Terminal 2 on 28 October 2018. Rest of the SkyTeam members, such as Vietnam Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Shanghai Airlines, will be relocated to Terminal 2 after the Phase 4 construction work is complete.[20]

Airlines and destinations

Passenger
AirlinesDestinations
Aeroflot Moscow–Sheremetyevo
Aeroméxico Mexico City
AirAsia X Kuala Lumpur–International
Air Astana Almaty, Nur-Sultan
Air Busan Cebu, Chengdu, Kaohsiung, Nagoya–Centrair,[21] Ningbo, Osaka–Kansai,[21] Shenzhen, Tokyo–Narita[22]
Air Canada Toronto–Pearson, Vancouver
Air China Beijing–Capital, Chengdu, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Tianjin, Wenzhou, Yanji
Air France Paris–Charles de Gaulle
Air India Delhi
Air Macau Macau
Air New Zealand Auckland[23][24]
Air Seoul Da Nang, Fukuoka,[25] Guam, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Kalibo, Kota Kinabalu, Kumamoto, Linyi, Nha Trang, Osaka–Kansai, Sapporo–Chitose, Siem Reap, Takamatsu, Tokyo–Narita, Zhangjiajie[26]
American Airlines Dallas/Fort Worth
Asiana Airlines Almaty, Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Barcelona, Beijing–Capital, Busan, Cebu, Changchun, Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Clark, Dalian, Da Nang, Frankfurt, Fukuoka, Guangzhou, Guilin, Haikou, Hangzhou, Hanoi, Harbin, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Istanbul, Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta, Kaohsiung, Koror, London–Heathrow, Los Angeles, Manila, Miyazaki, Nagoya–Centrair, Naha, Nanjing, New York–JFK, Nha Trang,[27] Osaka–Kansai, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Phnom Penh, Phuket, Phu Quoc,[28] Qingdao, Rome–Fiumicino, Saipan, San Francisco, Sapporo–Chitose, Seattle/Tacoma, Sendai, Shanghai–Pudong, Shenzhen, Sydney, Taichung, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tashkent, Tianjin, Tokyo–Haneda, Tokyo–Narita, Ulaanbaatar, Venice, Weihai, Xi'an, Yancheng, Yanji, Yantai
Aurora Khabarovsk, Vladivostok, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
Bamboo Airways Da Nang, Hanoi (begins 1 August 2020),[29] Nha Trang
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, Kunming, Nanjing, Qingdao, Shanghai–Pudong, Weihai, Yancheng, Yanji,[30] Yantai
China Southern Airlines Beijing–Capital, Changsha, Changchun, Dalian, Guangzhou, Guiyang, Haikou, Harbin, Mudanjiang, Shanghai–Pudong, Shenyang, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Yanji, Zhengzhou
Delta Air Lines Atlanta, Detroit, Manila (begins 25 October 2020),[31] Minneapolis/St. Paul, Seattle/Tacoma
Eastar Jet Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Da Nang, Fukuoka, Hanoi,[32] Hong Kong, Hualien, Ibaraki, Kagoshima, Kaohsiung,[33] Kota Kinabalu, Macau,[34] Miyazaki, Naha, Nha Trang,[35] Osaka–Kansai, Puerto Princesa,[36] Saipan, Shanghai–Pudong,[37] Taipei–Taoyuan, Tokyo–Narita, Zhengzhou[38]
Seasonal: Phu Quoc, Sapporo–Chitose, Vladivostok, Yantai[39]
Emirates Dubai–International
Ethiopian Airlines Addis Ababa, Tokyo–Narita
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi
EVA Air Kaohsiung, Taichung, Taipei–Taoyuan
Finnair Helsinki
Garuda Indonesia Denpasar/Bali, Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta
Hawaiian Airlines Honolulu
HK Express Hong Kong
Hong Kong Airlines Hong Kong
Jeju Air Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Cebu, Chiang Mai,[40] Clark, Da Nang, Fukuoka, Guam, Haikou,[41] Hanoi, Harbin, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Jiamusi, Kagoshima,[42] Kaohsiung, Kota Kinabalu, Macau, Manila, Matsuyama, Nagoya–Centrair, Naha, Nantong,[43] Nha Trang, Osaka–Kansai, Phu Quoc,[44] Qingdao, Saipan,[45] Sanya, Sapporo–Chitose, Shijiazhuang, Shizuoka, Tagbilaran,[44] Taipei–Taoyuan, Tokyo–Narita, Vientiane, Vladivostok, Weihai, Yanji,[43] Yantai[46]
Jetstar Airways Gold Coast[47]
Jin Air Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Cebu, Clark, Da Nang, Fukuoka, Guam, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Kalibo, Kitakyushu, Kota Kinabalu, Macau, Naha, Osaka–Kansai, Saipan, Sapporo–Chitose, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tokyo–Narita
Seasonal: Johor Bahru,[48][49][50] Phuket, Vientiane
KLM Amsterdam
Korean Air Amsterdam, Aomori, Atlanta, Auckland, Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Barcelona, Beijing–Capital, Boston, Brisbane, Budapest,[51] Busan, Cebu, Changsha, Chiang Mai, Chicago–O'Hare, Clark,[52] Colombo–Bandaranaike, Daegu, Dalian, Dallas/Fort Worth, Da Lat, Da Nang, Delhi, Denpasar/Bali, Dubai–International, Frankfurt, Fukuoka, Guam, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Hanoi, Hefei, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Huangshan, Istanbul, Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta, Jinan, Kathmandu, Koror, Kuala Lumpur–International, Kunming, Las Vegas, London–Heathrow, Los Angeles, Madrid, Malé, Manila, Milan–Malpensa, Moscow–Sheremetyevo, Mudanjiang, Mumbai, Nagoya–Centrair, Naha, Nanjing, 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, Tianjin, Tokyo–Haneda, Tokyo–Narita, Toronto–Pearson, Ulaanbaatar, Vancouver, Vienna, Vladivostok, Washington–Dulles, Weihai, Wuhan, Xiamen, Xi'an, Yangon, Yanji, Zagreb, Zhangjiajie,[53] Zhengzhou, Zürich
Seasonal: Irkutsk, Kagoshima, Komatsu, Phu Quoc,[54] Saint Petersburg, Siem Reap,[55] Ürümqi[56]
Seasonal Charter: Athens, Krabi, Oslo–Gardermoen, Sanya, Tbilisi,[57] Yerevan[58]
Lao Airlines Vientiane
LOT Polish Airlines Budapest, Warsaw–Chopin
Lufthansa Frankfurt, Munich
Malaysia Airlines Kuala Lumpur–International
MIAT Mongolian Airlines Ulaanbaatar
Myanmar Airways International Yangon[59]
Pan Pacific Airlines Cebu, Clark, Kalibo
Peach Aviation Naha, Osaka–Kansai, Tokyo–Haneda
Philippine Airlines Cebu, Manila
Philippines AirAsia Cebu, Clark, Kalibo, Manila
Qatar Airways Doha
Qingdao Airlines Qingdao
Royal Brunei Airlines Bandar Seri Begawan
S7 Airlines Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, Vladivostok
Scoot Singapore, Taipei–Taoyuan
Shandong Airlines Jinan, Qingdao, Yantai
Shenzhen Airlines Shenzhen
Sichuan Airlines Chengdu
Singapore Airlines Singapore
Sky Angkor Airlines Siem Reap
Spring Airlines Shanghai–Pudong, Shijiazhuang, Yangzhou[60]
Thai AirAsia X Bangkok–Don Mueang
Thai Airways Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Taipei–Taoyuan
Tianjin Airlines Tianjin
Tigerair Taiwan Taipei–Taoyuan
Turkish Airlines Istanbul
T'way Air Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Chiang Mai, Clark, Da Nang, Fukuoka, Guam, Haikou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Jinan, Kalibo, Kaohsiung, Macau, Naha, Nha Trang, Osaka–Kansai, Qingdao, Saipan, Sapporo–Chitose, Shenyang,[61] Taichung, Tokyo–Narita, Vientiane, Weihai, Wuhan[62]
Seasonal: Hong Kong,[63] Kagoshima,[64] Kumamoto, Oita, Saga, Vladivostok
Uni Air Taipei–Taoyuan
United Airlines San Francisco (resumes 6 July 2020)[65]
Uzbekistan Airways Tashkent
VietJet Air Can Tho,[66] Da Lat, Da Nang, Hai Phong, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc
Vietnam Airlines Da Nang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang
Charter: Ha Long
XiamenAir Xiamen
Yakutia Airlines Yakutsk
ZIPAIR Tokyo Tokyo–Narita (begins 1 July 2020)[67]

Cargo
AirlinesDestinations
Air China Cargo Beijing–Capital, Shanghai–Pudong
Air France Cargo Paris–Charles de Gaulle
Air Hong Kong Hong Kong
Air Incheon Hanoi, 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, Chongqing, Dallas/Fort Worth, Frankfurt, Guangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, 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,[68] Singapore
Emirates SkyCargo Dubai–Al Maktoum, Osaka–Kansai
Etihad Cargo Abu Dhabi
FedEx Express Anchorage, Beijing–Capital, Guangzhou, Los Angeles, Memphis, Newark, Shanghai–Pudong
Korean Air Cargo Amsterdam, Anchorage, Atlanta, Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Basel/Mulhouse, Beijing–Capital, Bogotá, Brussels, Budapest,[51] Campinas, Chicago–O'Hare, Chennai, Cheongju, Copenhagen, Dallas/Fort Worth, Delhi,[69] Frankfurt, Guadalajara, Guangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Jakarta–Soekarno–Hatta, Kuala Lumpur–International, Lima, London–Heathrow, 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, 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[70]
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 being pushed back at Incheon Airport

In 2017, the airport was the world's fourth busiest airport by cargo traffic and third in Asia,[71] and the world's 19th busiest airport by passenger traffic and ninth in Asia.[72] In 2019, the airport served a total of 70,857,908 passengers.

Top destinations
Busiest international routes (2019)
Rank Airport Passengers Operating Airlines
1 Hong Kong 3,149,768 Air India, Air Seoul, Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Eastar Jet, HK Express, Hong Kong Airlines, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Korean Air
2 Osaka–Kansai 2,840,003 Air Seoul, Asiana Airlines, Eastar Jet, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Korean Air, Peach, T'way Air
3 Tokyo–Narita 2,783,677 Air Seoul, Asiana Airlines, Eastar Jet, Ethiopian Airlines, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Korean Air, T'way Air,
4 Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi 2,729,051 Asiana Airlines, Eastar Jet, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Korean Air, Thai AirAsia X, Thai Airways, T'way Air
5 Da Nang 2,665,723 Air Seoul, Asiana Airlines, Eastar Jet, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Korean Air, T'way Air, VietJet Air, Vietnam Airlines
6 Taipei–Taoyuan 2,592,856 Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, Eastar Jet, EVA Air, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Korean Air, Scoot, Thai Airways, Uni Air
7 Fukuoka 2,159,199 Air Seoul, Asiana Airlines, Eastar Jet, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Korean Air, T'way Air
8 Shanghai–Pudong 2,119,555 Asiana Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Korean Air, Shanghai Airlines, Spring Airlines
9 Qingdao 1,972,345 Asiana Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Jeju Air, Korean Air, Qingdao Airlines, Shandong Airlines
10 Hanoi 1,969,848 Air Seoul, Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Korean Air, T'way Air, VietJet Air, Vietnam Airlines
11 Ho Chi Minh City 1,822,471 Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air, Korean Air, T'way Air, VietJet Air, Vietnam Airlines
12 Manila 1,773,067 AirAsia Zest, Asiana Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Jeju Air, Korean Air, Philippine Airlines
13 Singapore 1,556,020 Asiana Airlines, Korean Air, Singapore Airlines
14 Cebu 1,293,987 AirAsia Zest, Asiana Airlines, Cebu Pacific, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Korean Air, Pan Pacific Airlines, Philippine Airlines
15 Guam 1,225,218 Air Seoul, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Korean Air, T'way Air
16 Beijing–Capital 1,202,734 Air China, Asiana Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Korean Air
17 Los Angeles 1,038,757 Asiana Airlines, Korean Air
18 Kuala Lumpur 1,014,497 AirAsia X, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines
19 Sapporo-New Chitose 900,010 Air Seoul, Asiana Airlines, Eastar Jet, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Korean Air, Peach, T'way Air
20 Nagoya 881,871 Asiana Airlines, Korean Air, Jeju Air, T'way Air
Source: Korea Airpotal

Domestic destinations are shown below:

Domestic routes (2018)
Rank Airport Aircraft

Operations

 Passengers
1 Busan-Gimhae 4,122 462,504
2 Daegu 1,453 92,335
3 Jeju 164 28,300
4 Muan 1 144
5 Ulsan 2 142
6 Yangyang 7 138
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
2018 387,497 68,259,763 2,952,123
2019 404,104 71,169,722 2,764,369
Source: IIAC Airport Statistics[2]

Top carriers

In 2018, the twelve carriers with the largest percentage of passengers flying into, out of, or through Incheon are as follows:

Top Carriers (2018)[73]
Rank Carrier Aircraft

Operations

 Passengers %
1 Korean Air 94,214 17,755,258 26.01%
2 Asiana Airlines 64,449 12,311,259 18.04%
3 Jeju Air 32,370 5,521,533 8.09%
4 Jin Air 21,801 4,357,286 6.38%
5 T'way Air 15,426 2,537,978 3.72%
6 Eastar Jet 13,990 2,241,671 3.28%
7 Air Seoul 10,169 1,727,681 2.53%
8 China Eastern Airlines 11,282 1,625,062 2.38%
9 China Southern Airlines 11,678 1,583,939 2.32%
10 VietJet Air 5,991 1,094,883 1.60%
11 Cathay Pacific 4,412 1,051,652 1.54%
12 Air China 6,298 882,438 1.29%

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.[74]
  • Won the GT Tested Award for Best Airport in the World in January 2007.[75]
  • Named by Global Traveler (GT) as the Best Airport in the World for the second straight year in January 2008.[14]
  • 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.[76]
YearAwardCategoryResultsRef
2009Airport Service Quality Awards
by Airports Council International		Best Airport WorldwideWon[77]
Best Airport in Asia-PacificWon
Best Airport by Size (25–40 million passengers)Won
2010Best Airport WorldwideWon[78]
2011Won[79]

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.[80]

Ground transport
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 direction.

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.[81]

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.[82] The suspension became permanent in September 2018 as the line was officially closed.[83][84]

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.[85][86][87]

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.[88]

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

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