Incheon Airport Ranks 'World's No. 1' in Both International Passenger Traffic and Services... A Record-Breaking Achievement of Simultaneous Quantitative and Qualitative Growth

【Financial News Istanbul (Türkiye) = Reporter Kim Dong-hoIncheon International Airport has officially solidified its position as the world's number one in both quantity and quality by surpassing London Heathrow Airport and Singapore Changi to claim the top spot in international passenger traffic for the first time in history during the first half of this year, and by maintaining the highest service rating for five consecutive years—a feat unique in the world. Analysts suggest that the airport has secured the upper hand as the competition for dominance among global hub airports shifts from infrastructure expansion to a battle over "customer-perceived quality" and "digital operational efficiency." In particular, its smart operating system for alleviating passenger congestion amid rapid growth and standardized service capabilities are directly contributing to Incheon Airport's greatest export asset.
Incheon International Airport Corporation has achieved the highest rating (Level 5) for the fifth consecutive year in the 'Customer Experience Certification Program' organized by Airports Council International (ACI). The certification was presented on the 2nd (local time) at the '8th ACI Global Customer Experience Summit' held at Çırağan Palace in Istanbul, Türkiye.
Customer Experience Certification is a global standard indicator that evaluates the entire journey from arrival at the airport to boarding the aircraft. Incheon Airport is the only one among the 143 participating airports worldwide to have maintained the highest rating for five consecutive years since the program was introduced in 2019. After becoming the first airport in the world to achieve Level 5 in 2022, Incheon Airport has passed the annual recertification review with virtually no deductions.
In addition to this Level 5 Customer Experience Certification, Incheon Airport swept the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) 'Best Airport of the Year' award, the 'Accessibility Enhancement Accreditation (AEA) highest rating (Level 3),' and the 'Best Aviation Education Institution for Customer Experience' award, achieving a quadruple crown in the ACI service sector.
This marks Incheon Airport's 15th ASQ Airport of the Year award out of a total of 20, and the airport was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016 after ranking first in the world for 12 consecutive years since 2005. The newly acquired Level 3 AEA certification recognizes achievements in establishing an inclusive environment, including the introduction of autonomous mobility (AM), dedicated lounges, and psychological support rooms.
Incheon Airport's maintenance of its service indicators is highly significant, as it was achieved while stably handling rapidly increasing passenger demand. International passenger traffic at Incheon Airport in the first half of this year was recorded at 38.39 million (preliminary figure), a 6.3% increase compared with the same period last year, surpassing London Heathrow Airport (37.79 million) and Singapore Changi (34.53 million) to rank first in the world. Last July, it surpassed 1 billion cumulative passengers in the shortest period among major global airports, just 25 years and 3 months after opening.
The maintenance of service satisfaction amid annual average passenger growth of around 7% is attributed to proactive infrastructure expansion and the incorporation of cutting-edge technologies such as smart passes and self-check-in robots. With the completion of Phase 4 construction in November 2024, the corporation secured infrastructure capable of accommodating 106 million passengers annually, placing it among the world's top three airports. By combining 31 guidance and patrol robots with big-data-based congestion information services, the corporation significantly reduced departure processing times.
These operational capabilities are leading to an expansion of overseas orders for K-Airport. The corporation has secured 45 projects in 18 countries worldwide, recording cumulative orders worth $619.48 million. Last August, it expanded into public-private partnership (PPP) projects by securing the development and operation of a new airport in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, with a total project cost of 6.9 trillion won.
The corporation plans to sequentially carry out a full remodeling of the aging Terminal 1 by 2035 to strengthen facility safety and security, and to establish infrastructure for AI transformation (AX) and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) at an early stage to solidify its competitiveness as a Northeast Asian hub.
Kim Beom-ho, Acting President of Incheon International Airport Corporation, said, "Achieving the world's number one ranking in international passenger traffic and service evaluations simultaneously is the result of the dedication of more than 94,000 resident employees and the support of the public," adding, "We will maintain an unrivaled service advantage in the global aviation market through continuous facility upgrades and the implementation of an AI-based smart airport."
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