Kim Hyun-bin began his journalism career at Arirang TV from 2012 to 2017, specializing in defense, foreign affairs and the economy. In 2018, he joined The Korea Times, covering society and business, and is currently responsible for embassy affairs.
Incheon airport T2 accommodates 19 million passengers in 1 year since opening
An aerial photo of Incheon International Airport T2. Courtesy of IIAC
By Kim Hyun-bin
By Kim Hyun-bin
Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 has accommodated over 19 million passengers over the last one year since its grand opening on Jan. 18, 2018.
According to the Incheon International Airport Corp. (IIAC), Sunday, more than 68 million passengers used the airport's two terminals between Jan. 18, 2018 to Jan. 17, 2019, an increase of 9.8 percent from a year before. Among the total, 28 percent, or 19.09 million passengers, used the newly opened Terminal 2.
The opening of the T2 has reduced congestion and average departure time.
At Terminal 1, it took 37 minutes on average for passengers to go through the departure process, a drop from 41 minutes a year before, while it took 31 minutes at T2.
Duty free sales at the terminals rose 12 percent in the stated period from a year before, while sales of food and beverages saw an increase of 27 percent.
“T2 marked 19 million passengers in a year, showing successful and stable operations in a short period of time,” IIAC President Chung Il-young said. “This year we expect airport services to be greatly enhanced by opening up duty free stores at arrival halls. Also the construction of the fourth runway by 2023 will better prepare us to meet the 100 million annual passengers mark.”