Using Public Transportation Is Faster and Safer
With Over 121,000 Travelers, It’s the Busiest During the Holiday
Fourteen airports nationwide, including Gimpo Airport, Jeju Airport, and Gimhae Airport, will open their domestic parking lots for free during the Chuseok holiday. As parking lots will be free of charge and parking difficulties are expected, using public transportation is likely to be faster and safer.
Korea Airports Corporation announced on the 14th that from the start of the Chuseok holiday until the 18th, domestic parking lots at Gimpo Airport, Jeju Airport, Gimhae Airport, and others will be open free of charge. This is part of the government’s Chuseok livelihood measures and applies to 14 airports nationwide. The corporation expects that from the 13th to the 18th, the number of passengers using the 14 airports nationwide, including Gimpo, Jeju, and Gimhae, will reach 1.12 million for domestic flights and 350,000 for international flights. The average daily number of passengers is expected to be about 236,000, a 4.8% increase compared to last year.
During the six-day Chuseok holiday, a total of 8,314 flights (6,322 domestic flights and 1,992 international flights) will operate, with an average of 1,386 flights per day, a 2.8% increase from the previous year. Airport terminal congestion is expected to be highest on the 14th at Gimpo and Gimhae Airports and on the 18th at Jeju Airport, based on departures. The corporation plans to operate both identity verification gates and security checkpoints during peak passenger times. Additional guidance and support personnel will also be deployed.
Although the Chuseok holiday lasts until Wednesday the 18th, adding Thursday and Friday allows for a maximum nine-day golden holiday until the following Sunday. Therefore, many people are expected to travel. Incheon International Airport Corporation forecasts that about 1.204 million travelers will use Incheon Airport over the six days from yesterday until the last day of the holiday on the 18th. This averages about 200,000 travelers per day. It is the largest scale among all Chuseok holidays ever recorded. This figure is more than 10% higher than last year and even compared to the pre-COVID-19 period.
According to a survey released by Incheon Airport, the number one travel destination during this holiday is Japan, followed by Vietnam in second place. This reflects travelers’ preferences for short flight times and cost-effectiveness. Especially on the first day of the golden holiday, about 121,000 travelers are departing, the highest number during the holiday period. The busiest day during the holiday is expected to be the last day, the 18th.
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