Incheon Airport Terminal 1 Scheduled for Improvement Project Worth 1 Trillion Won

Comprehensive Improvement Project from 2027... Completion by 2033
"Due to Facility Aging and Safety Standard Upgrades"
Construction Promotes Marketing for Demand Recovery on China Routes

Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 will undergo improvement construction starting in 2027. Rather than significantly changing the exterior, the construction will focus on extending the durability of basic facilities such as electrical and plumbing systems. This is planned to reduce maintenance costs. The project budget is approximately 1 trillion KRW, and the construction is expected to be completed by 2033.

Incheon International Airport Panorama

On the 13th, Incheon International Airport Corporation held a regular briefing and announced the promotion of a comprehensive improvement project for Terminal 1. The corporation explained that the project aims to improve facilities that have exceeded their durability period and enhance passenger satisfaction. The project budget was initially 1.15 trillion KRW but was finalized at 1.02 trillion KRW after reducing incidental costs by 130 billion KRW.

The corporation stated that improvement construction is necessary due to the aging of Terminal 1 facilities, which has led to increased maintenance costs. Terminal 1 was completed over 20 years ago, and by 2030, most of its equipment and facilities will reach the end of their durability period. Already, more than 80% of the facilities have exceeded their durability this year. In the case of mechanical piping, significant corrosion has occurred, causing water leaks. Maintenance costs for Terminal 1 were only 4 billion KRW in 2001 but are expected to increase significantly to 164.2 billion KRW by 2030 if the current facilities are maintained, according to the corporation.

Overseas airports have also undertaken improvement projects such as aging renovations and capacity expansions after 25 years of operation. For example, Singapore Changi Airport plans to remodel two terminals in 2027 and 2029, respectively. London Heathrow Airport completed the remodeling of Terminal 4 in 2023.

Overseas travelers at Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 are completing their check-in procedures. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Another issue is that safety standards for fire prevention and earthquakes have been raised, but the facilities remain outdated. The corporation also explained the need to strengthen security screening systems. Recently, major airports have been conducting full inspections of checked baggage. Terminal 1, which currently operates a selective inspection system, also needs to be strengthened to meet international standards.

A public contest for the design of this project will begin in November this year. After selecting a design firm, the project will undergo feasibility evaluation and basic design implementation, and full-scale improvements will commence in 2027. The construction will be carried out in phases by dividing parts of Terminal 1 after the completion of the Incheon Airport Phase 4 construction project (including the expansion of Terminal 2).

The corporation plans to undertake comprehensive improvements divided into four areas: architecture, mechanical, fire safety, and security/others. Since the project mainly involves the complete replacement of utility facilities (electricity, plumbing, etc.), there will likely be little change to the exterior appearance. A representative from Incheon International Airport Corporation stated, “Since the construction focuses on facility equipment without touching the exterior, the scale of the terminal will be similar to the existing one.”

However, the corporation expects passenger capacity to increase through improvements to some aging facilities. They plan to raise Terminal 1’s passenger capacity by about 10% compared to the current 54 million passengers.

On the 24th, Chinese group tourists are arriving at Incheon International Airport Terminal 1. On this day, to commemorate the 31st anniversary of Korea-China diplomatic relations, the Korea Tourism Organization held a welcoming event for Chinese group tourists. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Meanwhile, the corporation announced plans to promote marketing to recover demand for China routes, as group tours from China to Korea have resumed after six years. They plan to conduct social media (SNS) events and invite young Chinese tourists, who make up a significant portion of Chinese visitors, to K-pop concerts. During holidays such as China’s National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival, they will operate welcome weeks to encourage repeat visits. The goal is to recover up to 90% of the 2019 passenger volume on China routes.

The corporation forecasted that the total number of passenger flights during the Chuseok holiday will reach 90% of the 2019 level. For China routes, recovery is expected to reach about 75%. They analyzed that the number of Chinese visitors to Korea increased during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday and that recent deterioration in China-Japan relations has led to demand for Korea as an alternative to travel to Japan.

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