Promotion of Route Utilization
and Increase in Transfer Demand at Incheon Airport
Incheon International Airport Corporation announced on the 18th that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, to revitalize the Incheon~Okinawa route.
Lee Hak-jae, President of Incheon International Airport Corporation (left), and Tamaki Denny, Governor of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, are posing for a commemorative photo after signing the "Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the Activation of the Incheon-Okinawa Route" at the Okinawa Prefectural Office on the 17th. Photo by Incheon Airport Corporation
The signing ceremony held on the afternoon of the 17th at the Okinawa Prefectural Office was attended by Lee Hak-jae, President of Incheon Airport Corporation, Denny Tamaki, Governor of Okinawa Prefecture, and more than 20 key officials.
The main contents of the agreement include promoting the use of the Incheon~Okinawa route and cooperating to increase transfer demand at Incheon Airport for departures and arrivals from Okinawa. Subsequently, both organizations plan to collaborate with related agencies such as the Okinawa Tourism Bureau and Naha International Airport to carry out demand attraction activities.
Incheon Airport operates a total of 27 routes to Japan, with 17.75 million passengers as of December last year. This accounts for about 25% of the total international passengers at Incheon Airport. The corporation explained that the agreement was signed with the goal of stable operation of the Japan routes and establishing Incheon Airport as a key hub connecting Japanese regional cities with the world.
Okinawa Prefecture is a subtropical island located at the southernmost tip of Japan and is a representative tourist destination in Japan. Currently, six national carriers operate on the Incheon~Okinawa route, which recorded the highest-ever load factor last year. The corporation plans to actively attract travelers from around the world visiting Okinawa and link this to revitalizing potential inbound tourism through free transfer tours at Incheon Airport.
President Lee Hak-jae of the corporation said, "Incheon Airport has established itself as a key airport connecting not only the gateway of the Republic of Korea but also the whole of Asia to the world," adding, "We will continue to attract demand through active marketing activities and further strengthen our status as a global hub airport."
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