Midtown check-in for flights in January

Many air travelers will be able to check in to flights at Seoul Station by the end of the year, when the direct train from central Seoul to Incheon International Airport starts running.

The Incheon International Airport Railroad (AREX) will connect to Seoul Station on Dec. 29, and passengers flying Korean Air and Asiana Airlines will be able to check in and go through immigration and customs before boarding the train to the airport, according to Korail Airport Railroad Company Ltd., yesterday. This will be true for travelers departing from Gimpo International Airport, too.

“It should take 46 minutes for travelers to get to Incheon International Airport from Seoul Station on the express line,” said an official from Korail Airport Railroad, whose largest shareholder is Korail, a state-run rail operator. The trip to Gimpo will take 15 to 20 minutes, the company said.

Currently, departure procedures can be completed at the inner-city terminal in Samseong, Seoul, but there is no train to either airport.

Negotiations are underway with foreign airlines to allow more passengers to check in at Seoul Station.

After AREX is complete, the company said, it will offer brief tours of Seoul to passengers stuck in Incheon or Gimpo on layovers.

The first phase of the airport rail line connecting Gimpo and Incheon airports was completed in March 2007. With the completion of the second phase, the line will be 58 kilometers (36 miles) long.

By Christine Kim [christine.kim@joongang.co.kr]