Incheon Airport braces for 1.2 million travelers over Chuseok

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Incheon Airport braces for 1.2 million travelers over Chuseok

Published: 13 Sep. 2024, 07:00

Travelers crowd Incheon International Airport. [NEWS1]

Incheon International Airport will see its highest air traffic during the upcoming Chuseok harvest festival with a record number of Koreans planning to travel for the holiday.

Incheon International Airport Corporation announced Sept. 10 that it expects to see 1.2 million travelers pass through its terminals during Chuseok with a daily average of 201,000 passengers, a potential record for passenger traffic during the holiday. Saturday is projected to be the busiest day with 121,000 departures expected.

The previous record for passenger traffic during this holiday season was set in 2017, with a daily average of 187,623 passengers. The corporation attributes the anticipated increase in demand primarily to travel to Southeast Asian countries and Japan.

The peak day by passenger volume is expected to be Sept. 18, the last day of the holiday season, with a projected 213,000 travelers. Saturday is anticipated to be the busiest day for departures, with 121,000 departing passengers, while Wednesday, the last day of the holiday, is expected to mark the highest number of arrivals.

To accommodate the increased passenger volume, the corporation will expand operations at departure gates and security checkpoints and deploy more than 500 staff members to provide assistance with guidance and security screening. The airport will also implement a flexible parking management system to address potential parking shortages based on demand.

The corporation urges travelers to utilize public transportation given the anticipated increase in vehicle traffic and the expansion of public transportation services such as late-night buses.

Since August, the number of late-night bus services between Incheon Airport and capital Seoul has increased by six daily trips on major routes. The buses now operate on fourteen routes, having only utilized three in 2019.

BY PARK YOUNG-WOO [yoon.seungjin@joongang.co.kr]