Incheon Airport Corporation's 20th Anniversary 'New Vision 2030+' Declaration... Key Highlights

Kim Kyung-wook, President of Incheon International Airport Corporation

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyewon] Incheon International Airport Corporation announced its 'New Vision 2030+' on the 29th to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the opening of Incheon International Airport.

In response to the new normal environment caused by COVID-19 and the paradigm shift in the aviation industry, the catchphrase of the newly established vision to secure global competitive advantage in the post-COVID era was set as "We Connect Lives, Cultures and the Future," which in Korean is "Saramgwa Munhwaleul Ieomyeo Miraero Naagamnida" (Connecting People and Cultures, Moving Toward the Future).

The vision embodies the airport’s ultimate value of 'Connect,' aiming to become a people-centered airport that creates new value in life, a distinguished airport through a cultural network beyond a hub, and a future airport that pioneers new domains and innovates paradigms.

Through this, Incheon Airport Corporation has set goals to achieve by 2030: ▲Top customer experience ranking in the Airport Council International (ACI) ▲Number one in energy self-sufficiency in Northeast Asia ▲Zero accidents and disasters ▲World number one in the Air Transport Utilization (ATU) index ▲Contribution of 88 trillion KRW to the national economy. The corporation’s strategy is to realize customer value across all airport sectors based on digital airport implementation and ESG management, expand the global cultural network, create a complex cultural and industrial belt, and lead next-generation mobility, thereby becoming a new growth engine for the Korean economy.

The New Vision 2030+ of Incheon Airport Corporation was established based on the management philosophy of President Kim Kyung-wook, who took office as the 9th president of the corporation on the 2nd of last month, focusing on three major strategies and nine strategic tasks.

The first is linking people and the value of life. Incheon Airport Corporation plans to reduce departure time by about 69% through biometric recognition smart passes, off-airport check-in, and home-to-airport customized guidance. Additionally, by significantly expanding customer-oriented content such as digital healthcare, smart showrooms, and augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) cultural experiences, the airport aims to transform from a means of transportation into a life platform that creates customer value such as enjoyment and excitement.

By being the first Asian airport to introduce RE 100 and converting 100% to green mobility, the airport will leap from an "energy-consuming airport" to an "energy self-sufficient airport." Efforts to create 120,000 jobs in the airport ecosystem and happy workplaces will innovate the airport into an ESG (environment, social, governance) platform where customers, stakeholders, and the public can nurture dreams together.

The second is the realization of a cultural network. Incheon Airport Corporation plans to expand the number of destination cities from the current 180 to 250 by 2030 in connection with the launch of the mega carrier integrating Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, securing the highest level of network connectivity in Northeast Asia and creating journeys and sharing opportunities to communicate with diverse global cultures. Furthermore, by establishing smart logistics infrastructure and innovating processes to respond to new growth cargo such as e-commerce and bio, the corporation plans to present a new paradigm for air logistics and enhance the value of trade centered on Incheon Airport where future goods flow.

Moreover, the airport will be developed into a vibrant cultural and artistic space with world-class exhibitions of cultural and artistic works in the passenger terminal and transform Yeongjongdo into an island of culture and arts. Based on this, through the creation of an aircraft maintenance (MRO) cluster that will be the center of airport and surrounding area development and airport industry promotion, the airport will be realized not just as a gateway or transit point but as a final destination of culture and industry, growing into a hub of the aviation-tourism convergence industry that autonomously generates demand.

Lastly, innovation of the future paradigm. Incheon Airport Corporation plans to actively apply future technologies such as Urban Air Mobility (UAM), a next-generation mobility, to build a future-oriented airport. To this end, it will establish UAM airport shuttle infrastructure from the city center to Incheon Airport, reducing the current travel time of about one hour to around 30 minutes, greatly improving accessibility. Furthermore, by 2030, it will build comprehensive UAM takeoff and landing facilities, implement a smart mobility city including autonomous vehicles, and lead new mobility innovation through expansion of UAM-related industries such as aircraft and parts manufacturing, infrastructure construction, and transportation services.

Additionally, based on accumulated know-how in airport infrastructure development, operation, and overseas business, the corporation plans to expand Northeast Asia’s largest airport infrastructure capable of handling 136 million passengers by 2030 and diversify its overseas business portfolio into new airport development, terminal consignment operation, and equity investment to establish a stable overseas business revenue model.

President Kim said, "We will transform the airport from a mere transit space for travel into a place where people, technology, and culture meet to create innovative value," adding, "As we compete with global airports in the post-COVID era, we will lay the foundation for future paradigm innovation to create new value so that Incheon International Airport can secure a competitive edge."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.