230 Million Passengers Used Nationwide Airports During Lunar New Year Holiday

Predicting Increased Airport Congestion... Consider Early Arrival and Using Self Check-In Compared to Usual

On the 23rd, the duty-free area at Terminal 1 departure hall of Incheon International Airport was bustling with travelers preparing to leave the country. Incheon Airport Corporation projected that 1,039,144 passengers (an average of 207,829 per day) would use the airport from the 23rd to the 27th, including the Lunar New Year holiday period.
Yeongjongdo - Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Yu Je-hoon] It has been estimated that approximately 2.3 million passengers will use 15 airports nationwide during this year's Lunar New Year holiday period. According to Incheon International Airport Corporation and Korea Airports Corporation on the 24th, the total number of passengers expected to use airports nationwide during the special traffic control period from the 23rd to the 27th is projected to reach 2,296,254.

In the case of Incheon International Airport, an average of 207,829 passengers per day are expected to use the airport over the five days, with a total of 1,039,144 passengers arriving and departing during the holiday period. This represents an increase of about 2.8% compared to the previous year on a daily average basis. For the 14 airports nationwide under Korea Airports Corporation, it is expected that 966,152 domestic passengers and 290,958 international passengers will use the airports, totaling 1,257,110 passengers. This also marks an increase of about 6.1% compared to the previous year on a daily average basis.

Regarding the busiest day at the airports, Incheon Airport identified the 24th as the peak day. According to Incheon Airport Corporation, the number of arriving and departing passengers on that day is expected to reach 223,157. Korea Airports Corporation analyzed that the 27th (with 255,259 passengers) will be the day with the highest number of users.

Both corporations have prepared related measures, anticipating increased congestion due to the relatively short holiday period. Incheon Airport Corporation plans to operate additional security checkpoints at Terminal 1 during peak congestion hours and extend the operating hours of Departure Hall 2 by 30 minutes compared to usual. Additionally, for the airport railroad, temporary trains will be added on the 25th and 26th, and the last train operation section will be extended.

Korea Airports Corporation also plans to deploy additional guides at security checkpoints and alleviate congestion in the departure halls through special duty shifts. An airport official stated, "Due to the short holiday period, congestion is expected at terminals and parking lots," adding, "Using public transportation, arriving at the airport earlier than usual, and utilizing self-check-in services will allow passengers to use air travel more quickly and conveniently."