"Ancestors, I'm Going Abroad for a While" Over 1 Million Seol Holiday Travelers Set Record High

It is expected that nearly 1 million travelers will flock to Incheon Airport during this year's Lunar New Year holiday. This is anticipated to be the holiday with the highest number of travelers since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Incheon International Airport Corporation forecasted that a total of 976,922 people will visit during the special traffic control period from the 8th to the 12th of this month. On a daily average basis, this amounts to 195,384 people, which is expected to increase by 53.2% compared to last year's Lunar New Year holiday. This is the highest figure recorded during holiday periods (Lunar New Year and Chuseok) since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. It is projected to recover to 96.7% of the daily average of 202,085 passengers recorded in 2019 before the pandemic.

The highest number of passengers (201,953) is expected on the last day of the holiday, the 12th. This is followed by 201,072 on the 8th and 200,687 on the 9th. The day with the most departing passengers is estimated to be the 9th (104,028), while the day with the most arriving passengers is expected to be the 12th (111,942).

The figure of 200,000 passengers per day is emphasized by the corporation as an indicator of Incheon Airport’s full normalization. In fact, daily passenger numbers at Incheon Airport have not exceeded 200,000 for four years since January 27, 2020, when 200,948 passengers were recorded, until earlier this year.

Meanwhile, the corporation will implement special traffic measures during the period when passenger numbers are expected to surge. First, the opening time of the departure and arrival halls will be moved forward by 30 minutes to start operations from 5 a.m. Approximately 120 additional security screening personnel and about 270 staff to assist with smart and self-service use will also be deployed.

On the 11th and 12th, the airport railroad will operate extended services until around 1 a.m. Until the 10th, direct airport trains will be trial-operated during early morning hours on weekends, and late-night airport buses will be operated in the Gyeonggi area.

Additionally, pre-inspections and checks of cooperation systems both internally and externally have been completed across all airport sectors, including facilities, transportation, passengers, systems, and security.

Lee Hak-jae, President of Incheon International Airport Corporation, stated, "As a large number of passengers are expected to use Incheon Airport during this Lunar New Year holiday period at levels comparable to those before the COVID-19 pandemic, we plan to make every effort to provide safe and convenient airport services."

Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 is bustling with travelers preparing to depart. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

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