Airport authorities propose PCR test-free arrivals

A passenger checks departure times on a flight information display system at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport, April 22. Yonhap

By Lee Hae-rin

Incheon International Airport has requested the government to allow PCR test-free arrivals, as in-bound tourism is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year.

The Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) announced during a press conference at the airport complex, Monday, that it has made a proposal to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to lift quarantine regulations by replacing mandatory PCR testing for arrivals with rapid antigen tests (RAT) or mandating testing only for those with symptoms or arriving from high-risk regions.

Under the current regulation of manual monitoring, all inbound passengers with full vaccination history must undergo a PCR test on the first day of their arrival and take a RAT test again within six to seven days after arrival. Those violating these requirements are subject to a maximum one-year prison term or 10 million won fine.

If introduced, the airport authorities said the PCR test exemption could help the nation's tourism sector recover from the last two years of pandemic-driven economic losses.

There are 59 countries worldwide with which non-stop airline services are operating from Incheon International Airport, and 39 countries, including European nations, have lifted PCR testing requirements for international arrivals.

The IIAC also proposed lifting the curfew on arriving aircraft. Since December 2019, the airport has had a flight curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., when 23 percent, or 115 out of a daily average of 510 flights, are usually allotted.

Followed by the reduction in COVID-19 cases and the lifting of quarantine measures, the number of inbound passengers from January to March this year exceeded 1.08 million, which is a 94 percent increase from last year's 559,719. The number tripled during the first two weeks of this month to 270,378 from last year's 82,221 since the self-isolation requirement was lifted on April 1.

According to the IIAC's outlook, the country's travel recovery is expected to reach 41 percent of the pre-pandemic daily average of 194,986 in July when the summer holiday season kicks in, and to reach 70 percent to 80 percent by the end of the year.

Incheon International Airport plans to resume operation in stages through a three-tier system to meet growing travel demand.

The airport's gates, passenger accommodation and commercial facilities will be extended gradually for operation at Level 1 (preparation stage) with 60,000 daily passengers and Level 2 (travel recovery stage) with 120,000.

When the airport reaches the full recovery stage at Level 3 with over 120,000 daily passengers in November to December, all accommodations, facilities and bus routes will resume.

It remains uncertain whether the land and health ministries will accept the IIAC's recommendations.

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