"17 Million Passengers in Q1 Alone"…Complete Recovery of Passenger Demand at Incheon Airport

Recovery to Pre-COVID-19 Levels
Rapid Recovery in Demand on China Routes
Cargo Transport Performance Continues Upward Trend

In the first quarter of this year alone, more than 17 million people used international flights at Incheon International Airport. This represents a 1.5-fold increase compared to the same period last year, recovering most of the passenger demand prior to COVID-19.

On the 12th, Incheon International Airport Corporation announced that the number of passengers at Incheon Airport for international flights in the first quarter of this year reached 17,147,016, a 50.0% increase compared to the same period last year. This corresponds to 96.5% of the 17,777,255 passengers recorded in the first quarter of 2019, before COVID-19. On February 25, during the peak winter season, the airport recorded 213,351 passengers in a single day, the highest since the pandemic began.

Incheon Airport attributed the recent increase to factors such as ▲ the winter peak season and year-end effects ▲ continued preference for short-haul routes to Southeast Asia and Japan ▲ recovery in passenger numbers on Chinese routes due to increased arrivals in February and March.

Passenger performance by region was as follows: ▲ Southeast Asia (5,634,465 passengers, 32.9% of total) ▲ Japan (4,360,011 passengers, 25.4%) ▲ China (2,139,186 passengers, 12.5%) ▲ Northeast Asia (1,516,898 passengers, 8.8%) ▲ Americas (1,423,188 passengers, 8.3%).

In particular, demand for Chinese routes is recovering rapidly. The recovery rate compared to the first quarter of 2019 stands at 69.1% this year, more than doubling from 32.7% in the second quarter of last year.

Meanwhile, international flights totaled 99,006 in the first quarter of this year, a 47.1% increase compared to the same period last year. This already surpassed the 98,105 flights recorded in the first quarter of 2019. This is attributed to a 40.5% increase in cargo flights compared to the first quarter of 2019, reaching 11,800 flights. Passenger flights numbered 87,206, still below the 89,704 flights in the first quarter of 2019.

During the same period, transfer passengers reached 2,079,381, a 32.9% increase compared to the same period last year, recovering to 98.2% of the first quarter of 2019.

International cargo is also steadily rebounding. In the first quarter of this year, 697,326 tons were transported, a 7.9% increase compared to the same period last year. The rebound that began in the third quarter of last year continues, supported by increased cargo volumes in Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, and China.

Lee Hak-jae, President of Incheon International Airport Corporation, said, "As passenger demand is expected to recover to 2019 levels this year, we will complete the 4th phase expansion project on time and accelerate the digital transformation." He added, "We will innovate services in response to demand recovery to provide safer and more convenient airport services to the public."