Incheon International Airport Corp. announced Wednesday that the airport recorded an all-time high of 18.6 million passengers in the first quarter of this year, driven by strong growth in short-haul routes to Japan, China and Southeast Asia. Short-haul flights accounted for 84.3 percent of total operations — significantly outpacing long-haul routes to destinations like the United States and Europe. This trend reflects a growing preference for shorter trips amid global economic uncertainties such as high exchange rates and rising fuel costs, the corporation explained. Compared to the same period in 2019, passenger volume rose by 3.9 percent, and by 7.8 percent compared to the first quarter of 2024. Flights also increased by 6.3 percent and 5.7 percent, respectively. Passenger traffic on Chinese routes surged 24.1 percent year-on-year to 2.66 million, aided by the temporary visa waiver introduced in November. Routes to Japan and Northeast Asia also experienced notable growth, increasing by 10.4 percent and 16.1 percent, respectively. With this momentum, the corporation projects international passenger volume for the year to reach 76.64 million. In terms of financial performance, the IIAC reported 643.2 billion won ($466 million) in first-quarter revenue — slightly below the 658.5 billion won recorded in the first quarter of 2019. Operating profit reached 199.1 billion won, representing a 56.8 percent recovery compared to the same period in 2019. Looking ahead to the holiday period from April 30 to May 6, the airport plans to expand early security screening, increase staff, operate temporary parking lots flexibly and encourage the use of smart pass and self bag-drop services. “Incheon Airport has entered a phase of stable operations, and we anticipate another record-breaking year in passenger numbers,” Incheon International Airport Corp. President and CEO Lee Hag-jae said. “We will do everything we can to ensure a smooth and convenient experience for travelers during the upcoming holiday period." (ICE SEOUL)

Fonte notizia: The Korea Herald