Incheon Airport projects record operations next year as tourism to Asia booms

The sight of aircraft taking off and waiting at Incheon International Airport [INCHEON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT CORPORATION]

Korea's main gateway Incheon International Airport expects to see a record number of aircraft operations during the summer season next year, spanning from the end of March to the end of October.

The upswing in aircraft operations is attributed to foreign airlines' increased interest in the Asian region.

The interest is also partially driven by the completion of the fourth-phase construction project scheduled for October 2024, including the expansion of facilities, notably Terminal 2.

According to the Incheon International Airport Corporation's projections Monday, the slot allocation for Incheon Airport during the summer of 2024 is poised to surpass all historical figures, exceeding 277,000 operations. This translates to a daily average of approximately 1,294 operations.

The anticipated figure is an increase of 33.8 percent from this year's summer performance of 206,913 operations and an 18.5 percent rise compared to the pre-Covid peak in 2019 at 233,648 operations.

The optimistic projection follows negotiations on flight schedules at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Slot Conference held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from Nov. 14 to 17, where representatives engaged with 95 airlines. A slot, indicating the number of aircraft landings at an airport, is a critical factor for airlines seeking to establish a presence at a specific airport.

Agreements were reached for passenger flights with airlines such as Swiss International Air Lines from Switzerland, Air Japan from Japan, and WestJet from Canada, all securing new slot allocations. Additionally, discussions on increased flights were held with major carriers, including Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and Emirates.

Cargo flights witnessed negotiations for additional slots with carriers such as Atlas Air, FedEx, Polar Air Cargo and Maersk Air Cargo.

"Big international airlines are planning to introduce new flights and expand their services, which is expected to bring greater stability to long-distance airfares," said Lee Hag-jae, President of Incheon International Airport Corporation.

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]