Seoul: More than 18 million international passengers traveled via Incheon International Airport in the third quarter of this year, marking the highest quarterly figure since the airport’s opening in 2001.
According to Yonhap News Agency, a total of 18,156,842 people traveled overseas from Incheon International Airport during the months of July to September. This number surpasses the previous record of 17.92 million international passengers in the third quarter of 2019. The recent figures represent a 17.8 percent increase compared to the same quarter last year.
The most frequented routes were to Southeast Asia, attracting over 5.02 million passengers. This was followed by travel to Japan, which saw 4.39 million passengers, China with 2.9 million, and the Americas with 1.79 million. The surge in travel numbers has been attributed to the summer vacation season, the Chuseok holiday, and a recovery in travel demand, particularly to Japan and the Americas, as well as between Incheon and China.
In response to the
increasing number of flights and passengers, the total number of international flights during this period reached 105,672, an increase of 3.2 percent from the previous high in 2019. Lee Hag-jae, the president of the airport operator, announced plans to complete a four-stage expansion project by the end of the year to enhance airport capacity and provide improved services for the growing number of travelers.