President Lee Hak-jae: "Introducing Innovative Technology at Incheon Airport... Making It an Airport People Want to Visit"

June 6 ACI Customer Experience Global Summit Press Conference
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Lee Hak-jae, President of Incheon International Airport Corporation, emphasized the importance of introducing advanced innovative technologies at Incheon Airport and expressed his ambition to "make Incheon Airport an airport that everyone wants to visit."

On the 6th, President Lee highlighted these points at a press conference held at Paradise City in Incheon during the 'Airport Council International (ACI) Customer Experience Global Summit.' He stated, "To enhance the service competitiveness of Incheon Airport, it is important to introduce advanced industrial technologies to the airport," adding, "We aim to create an airport where people not only visit out of necessity but also want to come by plane, and even those who do not fly want to visit."

Lee Hak-jae, President of Incheon International Airport Corporation, and Felipe de Oliveira, Secretary General of ACI (Airports Council International), are answering questions from the press at a joint press conference held on the 6th at the Paradise City Convention Center in Incheon during the '2023 ACI Customer Experience Global Summit.' Photo by Airport Photographers Group

Last year, Incheon International Airport became the first airport in the world to achieve the highest level, Level 5, in the 'ACI Customer Experience Certification,' known as the Olympics of the airport industry. This high level of customer satisfaction was largely influenced by the introduction of cutting-edge technologies not seen at other airports. Incheon Airport offers various services integrated with technology, such as the Smart Pass, which allows departure using only facial recognition information, and the Off-Airport system, which enables baggage check-in outside the airport.

Incheon Airport plans to expand the facial recognition Smart Pass service, introduced in July, until April 2025 and establish a system that allows automatic payment via facial recognition at general stores. Additionally, starting in 2026, it will operate a 'Home Drop Service' that enables passengers to check in and drop off luggage not only outside the airport but also from home.

Global airports, which experienced an unprecedented decline in passenger numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic, have recently shown signs of recovery. According to ACI data, global air travel demand has recovered to 90% compared to 2019. The number of passengers at Incheon Airport also recovered to about 5.24 million as of July, reaching 85% of the pre-pandemic level. Incheon Airport expects a full recovery in passenger demand by late 2024 or at the latest by 2025.

President Lee said, "The best part of Incheon Airport during the pandemic was that we minimized workforce reductions," adding, "Because we endured without reducing staff, the normalization of airport operations proceeded without major issues." He continued, "After the pandemic, it was confirmed that airports worldwide could become pathways for infection spread," and added, "There is a consensus that more attention must be paid to quarantine measures, and Incheon Airport will strive to become an even safer airport."

Following the full normalization of operations, Incheon Airport is also preparing to solidify its position as the 'world's number one airport.' Currently, Incheon Airport is promoting the 4th phase construction project, which includes the expansion of Terminal 2 and the construction of the 4th runway. Once the 4th phase construction project is completed in 2024, Incheon Airport's passenger capacity will significantly increase from the current 77 million to 106 million.

This global summit is the first major international event attended by President Lee since his inauguration as President of Incheon International Airport Corporation in June. The event, held from the 4th to the 7th of this month, is attended by approximately 600 participants from about 70 airports across 60 countries. It was organized as a platform to discuss the new airport operating environment following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic and to share information aimed at enhancing industrial customer service experiences.

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