Incheon Airport Rises to 'Top 3 in the World'... Achieves Both Passenger and Cargo Milestones

Best Performance Since Opening in 2001
Dubai Leads in Passenger Traffic, Hong Kong Tops in Cargo Volume

Incheon International Airport has achieved a 'Top 3 in the World for International Passengers' for the first time since its opening in 2001.

On April 20, Incheon International Airport announced that it ranked third in the world last year, according to Airports Council International (ACI), with 70,669,246 international passengers. Previously, its highest ranking had been fifth in the world, achieved in both 2018 and 2019.

Incheon International Airport has achieved a 'Top 3 in the World for International Passengers' for the first time since its opening. Incheon International Airport Corporation

Last year, Dubai Airport in the United Arab Emirates ranked first in the world for international passenger traffic, boasting 92,331,506 users?just shy of the 100 million mark.

Heathrow Airport in the United Kingdom ranked second, transporting 79,194,330 passengers, about 9 million more than Incheon Airport. Singapore Changi Airport ranked fourth with 67,063,000 passengers, while Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands was fifth with 66,822,948 passengers.

Incheon International Airport also ranked third in the world for international cargo volume. In 2024, its international cargo volume increased by 7.4% compared to the previous year's 2,706,943 tons, reaching 2,906,067 tons, placing it behind only Hong Kong and Shanghai airports.

Following the grand opening of its fourth phase last year, Incheon International Airport secured the world's third-largest airport infrastructure, capable of accommodating 106 million passengers annually. In addition, by ranking third globally in both passenger and cargo performance, it has firmly established itself as a 'Top 3 Global Airport.'

The airport corporation cited several factors for this improved performance: an increase in passengers during the summer peak season and Chuseok and year-end holidays; a rise in demand for short-haul travel due to the weak Japanese yen and the rising won-dollar exchange rate; and the expansion of Incheon Airport's network infrastructure, including increased flight slots and the operation of 98 airlines.

The corporation forecasts that, with the continued growth in passenger numbers, Incheon Airport's annual international passenger volume this year will reach between 73,030,000 and 76,640,000.

Lee Hakjae, President of Incheon International Airport Corporation, stated, "Incheon Airport has truly become a global Top 3 airport in all areas, including infrastructure, passenger traffic, and cargo." He added, "We will accelerate efforts to strengthen future airport competitiveness, such as digital transformation and the development of an aviation artificial intelligence (AI) innovation hub, to maintain a continuous advantage in the next generation of global competition."