Koo to lead Incheon airport

New Incheon International Airport Corp. (IIAC) CEO Koo Bon-hwan, center, poses with company employees during his inauguration ceremony at the corporation's office, Tuesday. / Courtesy of IIAC

By Kang Seung-woo

Koo Bon-hwan, a career-long aviation bureaucrat, was inaugurated to head the Incheon International Airport Corp. (IIAC), Tuesday.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport recommended the 58-year-old and President Moon Jae-in approved him as the IIAC's eighth CEO. The airport operator was established in 1999.

“While focusing on setting up infrastructure to service 100 million passengers through its fourth-stage expansion project by 2023, Incheon International Airport will make efforts to stand out in competition with the world's leading players,” Koo said in an inauguration ceremony at his company in Incheon.

“Currently, the airport industry is undergoing a paradigm shift to establish an economic bloc that will put together aviation, tourism, logistics and smart convergence. Taking the trend into account, the IIAC has set its sights on becoming a vibrant hub of business, high-tech industry and aviation services, tourism and logistics.”

Koo, a native of Nonsan, South Chungcheong Province, also said he will make efforts to create a “One Airport” ecosystem, where the airport and aviation industry players prosper together.

Along with the business goals, the new CEO said the IIAC will try to increase job security and improve working conditions for its employees, while creating more employment.

His remarks were in line with President Moon's first executive order to remove all irregular employees in the public sector.

Out of some 10,000 contract workers, the IIAC has converted more than 3,000 irregular workers to full-time ones so far, with the remaining employees to work in full-time positions by 2020.

Koo is recognized for having a wealth of experience and expertise in the airport sector.

Serving as a civil servant at the transport ministry for 28 years, Koo held key posts including the head of the International Air Transport Division and the Seoul Regional Office of Aviation.

In particular, at the helm of the ministry's Civil Aviation Office, he helped the transport ministry open the second passenger terminal at Incheon airport in January 2018 and work out a master plan for its expansion project.