Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, is crowded with passengers on July 6, 2022. (Yonhap)
YEONGJONG ISLAND, July 7 (Korea Bizwire) — Incheon International Airport, the main gateway to South Korea, is likely to see a ninefold increase in air travelers in the upcoming peak summer vacation season, compared with last year, airport officials said Thursday.
A total of 1.71 million passengers are expected to travel through the airport during the peak season from July 22-Aug. 10, compared with 190,000 a year earlier, the Incheon International Airport Corp. said.
During the 20-day period, Aug. 7 is likely to be the busiest day, with 98,352 travelers expected to visit the airport on the day, according to the company.
An estimated 8,071 flights will be serviced during the period, up 598 percent from a year ago.
Bracing for the recovery in air travel demand thanks to the receding COVID-19 pandemic, the airport operator will also run the Incheon airport at up to 80 percent capacity and gradually normalize self check-in and baggage drop services during the vacation season.
In the first half this year, a total of 3.93 million passengers traveled via Incheon International Airport, up 233 percent from the same period last year.
The volume of air freight handled by the airport declined by 4.4 percent to 1.55 million tons during the period, however, due to the sluggish global economy, the company also said.
For 2022 overall, the total number of passengers traveling through the airport is predicted to reach 24 million, representing 35 percent of the corresponding number posted in 2019.
(Yonhap)
