Incheon International Airport Achieves Milestone of Transporting 50 Million Tons of Air Cargo in 20 Years Since Opening

Total Exported and Imported Goods Value 1,722.4 Trillion Won
Equivalent to 9 Times South Korea's GDP Last Year
Volume Corresponding to 500,000 Boeing 747-400F Flights

Incheon International Airport Cargo Terminal View [Image Source=Yonhap News]

Incheon International Airport has achieved a cumulative air cargo volume of 50 million tons in 20 years since its opening. The value of goods imported and exported through Incheon Airport during this period is estimated to be approximately 1,722.4 trillion KRW.

On the 3rd, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Incheon International Airport Corporation announced that at 10:58 a.m. on the 27th of last month, a Korean Air cargo flight departing from Incheon Airport to Atlanta Airport in the United States transported 70 tons of export cargo, marking the achievement of 50 million tons of cumulative air cargo at Incheon Airport.

Incheon Airport surpassed 10 million tons of cumulative air cargo in 2006, then recorded 20 million tons in 2010, 30 million tons in 2014, and 40 million tons in 2018.

Over the past 20 years, the value of goods imported and exported through Incheon Airport is estimated at about 15 trillion USD (1,722.4 trillion KRW). This is approximately nine times South Korea's GDP in 2020 (1.6382 trillion USD).

Air cargo transportation includes many high-value items such as semiconductors and pharmaceuticals, accounting for 33.6% of South Korea's total import and export value in 2020.

The 50 million tons of air cargo corresponds to 500,000 flights of the Boeing 747-400F, a representative large cargo aircraft currently operated worldwide, based on a 100-ton loading capacity. If 500,000 Boeing 747-400Fs were parked in a row, the distance would circle the Earth once (40,000 km).

Incheon Airport's air cargo volume was 1.2 million tons in 2001 and gradually improved each year, reaching 2.55 million tons in 2007. However, due to the impact of the 2008 U.S. financial crisis, the volume dropped to 2.31 million tons in 2009. As the economy gradually recovered, the airport achieved its highest record of 2.95 million tons in 2018 since its opening.

Despite the sharp decline in international passengers due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Incheon Airport's air cargo volume in the first half of this year increased by 23% compared to the same period last year, reaching 1.62 million tons. It is expected to achieve 3 million tons annually for the first time since its opening.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is continuously developing the airport logistics complex to enable Incheon Airport to become a Northeast Asian air logistics hub. In addition to the current seven airline cargo terminals, expansion of dedicated terminals for global express delivery companies is underway.

Kim Yong-seok, Director of Aviation Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "We will continue to build aviation logistics infrastructure such as future-oriented smart cargo terminals so that Incheon Airport can grow into a world-class air logistics airport."

(Data provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)

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