Former President Chung Il-young of the Korea Transportation Safety Authority (TS) was inaugurated as the seventh president of the Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) on Feb. 2. New IIAC President Chung has a huge mission in front of him in how to address the greatest crisis the airport has faced since its opening in 2001, in the wake of a recent series of accidents, including security breaches and freight data processing system glitches that caused flights to be delayed. Chung convened a ceremony to put the corporation in management “emergency mode” with all IIAC officers and staff members in attendance at the grand auditorium of the airport on Feb. 2, skipping the conventional inauguration ceremony.
In his speech at the ceremony, IIAC President Chung said, “Even though Incheon International Airport has made explosive rides for 15 years since its opening, the recent crises are attributable of IIAC’s resting on its laurels, neglecting innovation.” He urged his executives and staff to address accumulating problems concerning the overall operation of the airport as soon as possible by pushing dramatic reforms and innovations.
“Our rise to a hub airport of Northeast Asia is a state goal Korea will have to achieve for the future of the Korean aviation industry, and I’ll devote myself to elevating the operation of the airport and other areas, including the development of a multi-purpose airport city and overseas airport business, so that Incheon International Airport can beat out neighboring countries in a fierce completion.”
President Chung put top management priority on ensuring passenger safety and preventing glitches and accidents related to entry and departure procedures during the lunar New Year holiday, during which the airport is expected to see the most-ever outbound and inbound passengers. As part of “management emergency mode,” President Chung ordered his executives to work out a list of 100 checkpoints in all areas and stay at the airport around the clock during the holiday. Chung began to inspect the airport between late at night and early in the morning, which are considered to be the times most likely to see accidents occurring.
President Chung plans to review IIAC’s strategy to become a hub port of Northeast Asia, establish 2020 and 2030 future management strategies and visions and discuss ways of successfully dedicating the third phase project to expand the airport without a hitch after the lunar holiday.
The new IIAC president is touted as a prominent expert in airport and aviation industry, with the qualifications to overcome the difficult situations facing the airport. He has played leading roles in all areas, ranging from the planning, construction and operation of Incheon International Airport for the past 20 years. Chung worked as director in charge of aviation policy at the predecessor of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) when Korea launched a project to build the airport. He had been credited with contributing to making the opening of Incheon International Air port a success while serving as the director general in charge of international aviation cooperation. He also served as the director general of the Aviation and Railroad Bureau at the ministry in 2008 when the 2nd phase expansion project was dedicated.
In particular, President Chung was praised for his contribution to helping Korea become a standing member country of the executive board of the U.N. International Civil Aviation Organization. He has accumulated expertise in the international aviation cooperation and international civil aviation areas.
The Korean aviation industry suffered a major blow in the wake of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s 2001 decision to downgrade Korea’s aviation safety rating to Category 2. Chung was lauded for his support to help Korea’s recovering its aviation safety rating.
Chung was also credited for making such achievements while serving as president of Korea Transportation Safety Authority as the largest-ever sales through massive management reforms and restructuring and drastically reducing traffic accident deaths.
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