SOUTH KOREA. Incheon International Airport served 34 million passengers in the first half of the year, reaching 96.6% of pre-pandemic 2019 levels.
Latest figures released by Incheon International Airport Corporation revealed a +39.5% year-on-year rise in passenger volume in the first six months.
The airport posted a new daily record of 213,351 passengers on 25 February, the highest since the pandemic, as winter holidays coincided with international student arrivals, the airport company noted.
The sharp increase in passenger traffic was a result of the early winter holiday season, continued demand for short-haul routes such as Southeast Asia and Japan, and the resurgence of passenger traffic on routes to/from China.
The top travel destination during the six-month period was Southeast Asia, with 10.47 million passengers, accounting for 30.7% of the total.
It was followed by Japan with 8.54 million and China with 4.63 million passengers.
Notably, Chinese routes recorded a 71.3% recovery rate compared to the first half of 2019, highlighting a rapid rebound since last year.
International flight movements increased +34.0% year-on-year, nearly reaching 2019, pre-COVID levels.
The number of transit passengers climbed by +19.7% to 40.38 million, representing a 97% recovery from the first half of 2019, thanks to the increased demand for transfers in Incheon on routes to China and the Americas.
Incheon International Airport Corporation President Hag Jae Lee said: “With the recovery in aviation demand, many people are using Incheon Airport. We plan to complete the Phase 4 expansion project by the end of this year and accelerate airport service innovation such as digital transformation based on Vision 2040, to provide safer and more convenient airport services to our citizens.” ✈
