[Report] Supporting Over 400 Flights 24 Hours a Day... The Sleepless 'Ground Cockpit' Integrated Control Center

First Reveal Since Remodeling at the End of Last Year
Equipped with Maintenance Facilities Equivalent to Two Soccer Fields

At 10 a.m. on the 23rd, a flight operations manager at the Korean Air Integrated Control Center in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, is explaining the weather conditions to the captain of flight KE082 from New York to Incheon via real-time satellite communication. (Photo by Korean Air)

"Korean Air 082, this is OCC (Operations Control Center). Please maintain your current altitude. Turbulence is expected over Japanese airspace in about three hours, so please be cautious."

The Korean Air Operations Control Center in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, is a "cockpit on the ground" that never sleeps, operating 24/7. It supports over 400 aircraft flying across the globe in real time. The center monitors weather conditions, altitude, and flight routes while anticipating future situations. The tension flows continuously, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

On the 23rd, Korean Air opened the OCC, located on the 8th floor of its headquarters in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, to the media. This was the first public unveiling since a complete remodeling at the end of last year, which upgraded the facility with state-of-the-art equipment. The 1,090㎡ space houses 11 departments with over 240 staff working in three shifts. Their role is to manage and respond to ensure the safe operation of an average of 400 flights daily to 110 cities in 39 countries.

Upon entering the OCC, the large wall-sized screen immediately catches the eye. The 18-meter-long display shows the status of aircraft moving worldwide at a glance. Various news broadcasts are also shown to monitor major global events such as terrorism, disasters, and natural calamities. Hwang Yoon-chang, Network OPS Group Leader of Korean Air’s Control Operations Team, explained, "We monitor everything in real time, from aircraft fuel status to various disaster situations like volcanic ash, ensuring safe flight operations. In emergencies, experts from all fields including flight operations, maintenance, and loading gather in the center’s central 'Decision-Making Zone' to find the best solutions."

In fact, the OCC houses the Flight Control Center (FCC), Maintenance Control Center (MCC), Load Control Center (LCC), and the Network Operations Center (NOC) related to customer service. It functions as a command and control room managing everything from real-time flight operations and cargo loading to flight schedules.

Lee Seung-yong, Executive Director in charge of Korean Air OCC Control Operations, stated, "Recently, a Singapore Airlines flight from London to Singapore encountered severe turbulence, resulting in one death and over 70 injuries, highlighting the critical importance of turbulence response. Using advanced flight monitoring systems, we check for turbulence occurrences within 3,000 feet above or below and within 50 miles ahead of all operating flights, issuing instructions for necessary actions. Additionally, a nationwide database system is being established to collect such information in real time."

On the 23rd, aircraft maintenance was underway at the Korean Air headquarters maintenance hangar in Gangseo-gu, Seoul.

On the first floor, there is a maintenance hangar directly connected to Gimpo International Airport. It measures 180 meters in length, 90 meters in width, and 25 meters in height, equivalent to the size of two soccer fields combined. It can accommodate maintenance for two large aircraft and one medium or small aircraft simultaneously. The maintenance workforce numbers over 3,100.

On this day, comprehensive maintenance was underway on an Airbus medium-sized A220-300 aircraft in its sixth year of operation. The hangar is capable of performing 'overhaul' work, which involves completely disassembling the engine down to each component, inspecting, and reassembling it.

Kim Il-chan, Deputy Director of the Flight Inspection Maintenance Factory, explained, "We recently established a 'predictive maintenance' team that collects and analyzes changes in noise and vibration from aircraft, as well as fuel and power consumption, to proactively prevent issues."

On the 23rd, instructors are demonstrating emergency evacuation at the Korean Air Cabin Training Center in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. (Photo by Korean Air)

Near the headquarters building, there is a Cabin Training Center spanning 7,695㎡ over two basement levels and two above-ground floors. It includes ▲Aircraft Door Operation Practice Room ▲Emergency Equipment Practice Room ▲First Aid Practice Room ▲Emergency Response Training Facilities. Here, flight attendants undergo various training exercises in facilities structurally identical to actual aircraft. There is also a large swimming pool measuring 25 meters wide by 50 meters long, where training is conducted to ensure safe evacuation during emergencies such as emergency landings. All flight attendants must undergo regular safety training once a year.

Yoo Ki-hong, CEO of Korean Air, emphasized, "Safety is Korean Air’s top priority that cannot be compromised for anything. We will continue to strengthen our position as the world’s safest airline."