By Chung Ah-young
Incheon International Airport aims to have 110 airlines operating from it by 2020, with more than 10 million transfer passengers, making the airport Asia's top air hub.
Incheon International Airport Corp. (IIAC) said Monday that to reach that goal, it would seek to open berths for airlines flying to China, Italy, France and Iran, which have a growing number of travelers wanting to visit Korea.
Aiming to have 66 million passengers by 2020 from the 49 million now, the corporation will expand the number of carriers operating in and out of Incheon from 90 in 2015 to 110.
It also aims to increase the number of transit passengers to 10 million from the current 7.42 million by offering incentives to carriers.
Since the airport opened in 2001, the number of transit passengers has been rising at an average 6.4 percent a year until 2013. But the figure declined from 7.71 million in 2013 to 7.25 million in 2014 because of more direct flights operated by low-cost carriers.
For passengers' convenience, the airport will also increase its automated check-in device from four now to eight in 2020. It will introduce 20 movable check-in counters this year and expand this to 50 by 2020.
An automated check-in device allows passengers to get boarding passes through tablet devices instead of waiting in line at conventional check-in counters at peak times, especially in the morning.
The airport will also expand immigration checkpoints from 104 to 158 and the number of luggage claims from 23 to 33.
It will establish a capsule hotel, a unique lodging facility developed in Japan, at the airport to cater to passengers on night flights.
To address the shortage of parking spaces, the IIAC will expand parking facilities and develop a smartphone application through which drivers can track available parking spaces in advance.
With two integrated resorts to be built nearby ― Paradise City, which is under construction, and another ― the airport plans to draw stopover passengers by developing tourist programs.
The airport expects about 25,000 jobs will be created through the opening of the second terminal to be completed by 2017 and the infrastructure for the integrated resorts.
About 49 million passengers have now used Incheon airport, making it the world's eighth-busiest for international traffic.
Incheon International Airport aims to have 110 airlines operating from it by 2020, with more than 10 million transfer passengers, making the airport Asia's top air hub.
Incheon International Airport Corp. (IIAC) said Monday that to reach that goal, it would seek to open berths for airlines flying to China, Italy, France and Iran, which have a growing number of travelers wanting to visit Korea.
Aiming to have 66 million passengers by 2020 from the 49 million now, the corporation will expand the number of carriers operating in and out of Incheon from 90 in 2015 to 110.
It also aims to increase the number of transit passengers to 10 million from the current 7.42 million by offering incentives to carriers.
Since the airport opened in 2001, the number of transit passengers has been rising at an average 6.4 percent a year until 2013. But the figure declined from 7.71 million in 2013 to 7.25 million in 2014 because of more direct flights operated by low-cost carriers.
For passengers' convenience, the airport will also increase its automated check-in device from four now to eight in 2020. It will introduce 20 movable check-in counters this year and expand this to 50 by 2020.
An automated check-in device allows passengers to get boarding passes through tablet devices instead of waiting in line at conventional check-in counters at peak times, especially in the morning.
The airport will also expand immigration checkpoints from 104 to 158 and the number of luggage claims from 23 to 33.
It will establish a capsule hotel, a unique lodging facility developed in Japan, at the airport to cater to passengers on night flights.
To address the shortage of parking spaces, the IIAC will expand parking facilities and develop a smartphone application through which drivers can track available parking spaces in advance.
With two integrated resorts to be built nearby ― Paradise City, which is under construction, and another ― the airport plans to draw stopover passengers by developing tourist programs.
The airport expects about 25,000 jobs will be created through the opening of the second terminal to be completed by 2017 and the infrastructure for the integrated resorts.
About 49 million passengers have now used Incheon airport, making it the world's eighth-busiest for international traffic.
