A whole view of Incheon International Airport’s 2nd Passenger Terminal, which is to be opened next January.

Incheon International Airport rose to global stardom when it won the top prize at the Annual Airport Service Quality Awards by the Airports Council International (ACI) for the 12th consecutive year.

Incheon International Airport, which debuted in 2001, has emerged as a hub of Northeast Asia. The airport is now poised to rise to new heights with the opening of its second passenger terminal, slated for next January. The airport expansion project has been working time to open the second passenger terminal in time for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games. Construction finished in September on the 3rd phase of the airport. 

The departure lounge is just one of the representative features of the airport. The lounge boasts more spacious views than the existing Passenger Terminal I. It utilized the latest engineering methods to maximize the use of natural light and expand the inside space. Structural stability and openness are prominent features of the functional changes. Such processes as self check-in and automatic baggage consignment facilities have been upgraded. 

The traffic center offers not only parking, but all transportation services, including bus, railway and subway, in one place. The center, located just below the departure lounge, has reduced lines compared to the existing one, and the bus terminal has an inside passenger waiting lounge. The existing railway line has been extended by 6.4 km to allow the KTX to connect the new passenger terminal to major cities across the nation. The shuttle train line between the first passenger terminal and boarding concourse has been extended to the new passenger terminal. 

The new passenger terminal, which will accommodate four airliners, including Korean Air, Air France, and Delta, has a capacity 18 million passengers annually. The figure will bring to 72 million the combined annual passenger capacity of Incheon International Airport. Passengers now take an average of 40 minutes to depart the nation through the existing passenger terminal, but that can be halved at the new passenger terminal. 

The new passenger terminal is to be open to the public in January. The project, designed to cope with the saturation of the existing airport facilities, cost a combined 5 trillion won in building such facilities as the new passenger terminal, aprons, and approach/connected transportation facilities. The new passenger terminal has been test-operated after construction was completed in September as planned. 

President Chung Il-young of Incheon International Airport Corp. said, “Incheon International Airport’s major goal is to be at the forefront of next-generation airport services, exceeding the conventional services.” The employing of new technologies, including robots and A.I., IoT, big data and biometics, will make entry and departure more convenient and airport operation more efficient, and the airport will realize services tailored to meet passengers’ needs. It will be turned into a cultural space with large-scale art works, he said.

The airport is working on countermeasures to alleviate users confusion surrounding the opening of the new passenger terminal. The name of the existing Incheon International Airport Station will be changed to Incheon International Airport 1 Terminal Station. Shuttle buses will be operated at five minute intervals to transport users who ended up in the wrong place. 

When the new passenger terminal is opened to public, Incheon International Airport is expected to continue being a global hub airport that offers differential airport services to Korean and foreign passengers, particularly during the upcoming Olympic Games. 

The new terminal’s first customers will be the torch relay team of the Olympics, symbolizing the Olympic Movement of peace and harmony. 

An inside view of Incheon International Airport’s 2nd Passenger Terminal. (Photos: IIAC)