Incheon International Airport

Incheon International Airport
인천국제공항
仁川國際空港
Incheon Gukje Gonghang
Inch'ŏn Kukche Konghang

Incheon International Airport-2.jpg
Incheon International Airport Passenger Terminal

Logo
IATA: ICN – ICAO: RKSI
Summary
Airport type Public
Owner Government of South Korea
Operator Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC)
Serves Seoul National Capital Area
Location Incheon, South Korea
Elevation AMSL 23 ft / 7 m
Website http://www.airport.kr/eng/airport/
Runways
Direction Length Surface
ft m
15R/33L 12,303 3,750 Asphalt
15L/33R 12,303 3,750 Asphalt
16/34 13,123 4,000 Asphalt
Helipads
Number Length Surface
ft m
H1 63 19 Concrete
Statistics (2007)
Aircraft movements 211,404
Passengers 31,227,897
Tonnes of cargo 2,555,580
Statistics from IIAC[1]
Incheon Airport - Entrance
Incheon Airport - Departures

Incheon International Airport (IIA) (IATA: ICN, ICAO: RKSI) (Korean: 인천국제공항) is the largest airport in South Korea, and one of the largest and busiest in Asia. Since 2006, it has been consecutively rated as the best airport in the world [2] and received the full 5-star ranking by Skytrax, the prestigious recognition shared only by Hong Kong International Airport and Singapore Changi Airport.

Located 30 minutes away from Seoul, the capital and largest city of South Korea, Incheon International Airport is the main hub for Korean Air, Asiana Airlines and Polar Air Cargo. Additionally, Incheon Tiger Airways the start up Korean subsidiary of Tiger Airways based in Singapore is seeking to base itself at Incheon International Airport.

The airport opened for business in early 2001, replacing the older Gimpo International Airport, which now serves only domestic destinations plus shuttle flights to Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport.

The airport serves as a hub for international civilian air transportation and cargo traffic in East Asia. Security facilities are state-of-the-art and medical inspection equipment is also very advanced, in response to terrorist threats and various epidemics in southwestern Asia. As a result, Incheon International Airport is considered Asia's most technologically facilitated airport.

Incheon International Airport is also currently Asia's eighth busiest airport in terms of passengers, the world's fifth busiest airport in terms of cargo and freight, and the world's eleventh busiest airport in terms of international passengers. [3]

Contents

Overview

Incheon International Airport is located west of Incheon, on Yeongjong-Yongyu Island on the West Coast. In the past, there were two separate islands of Yeongjong and Yongyu but the distance between them that were once covered by the sea got filled to form one island from two. Both of these islands were part of the city of Incheon.

It is connected to the mainland by Incheon International Airport Expressway (Expressway 130), a part of which is Yeongjong Bridge. The expressway also connects Gimpo Airport and provide connections between domestic flight service with international air traffic, an advantage that makes it far easier to travel from southern Korean regions to Incheon, and then to airports all over the globe. The airport is served by frequent bus service from all parts of South Korea as well as by traditional ferry service between Yeongjong pier and Incheon. Airport limousines operate around the clock from Seoul to Incheon, and several backup highway buses escort people from places within and outside Seoul.

The Incheon International Airport Railroad link to Gimpo International Airport (and Seoul Subway Line 5) opened on March 23, 2007,[4] with a further extension to Seoul Station due for completion by January 2010.

The airport was awarded the "Best in Service Award in Class" at the 1st International Conference on Airport Quality and Service by the IATA and the ACI, and ranked second in "Best Airport Worldwide", behind Hong Kong International Airport, and ahead of Singapore Changi Airport. It was also ranked No. 1 in the world by the Airports Council International.[5]

Seoul Incheon International Airport's terminal has 44 boarding gates altogether.

History

Location of Incheon International Airport on reclaimed land joining Yeongjong and Yongyu Islands

After the Seoul Olympics of 1988, international air traffic to Korea was increasing at a tremendous rate. Especially as time progressed into the 1990s, it became apparent that Gimpo International Airport could not keep up with the increase in air traffic. As such, in order to reduce the load on Gimpo International Airport, and establish a new airport which could become the centre of air traffic in the region, construction of the airport began in November 1992. The airport was constructed on reclaimed land between Yeongjong Island and Youngyu Island. It took eight years to construct the airport, and an additional six months to test operate. The airport was officially opened in March 2001. The airport was designed to be constructed in multiple stages, more commonly known as phases. Currently, the airport is in the second phase, with the third phase construction needed to be reviewed.

When the airport was first opened, there were numerous problems that broke out, most of them having to do with the baggage handling systems. In fact, the problem was first discovered during the test phase, but was never worked out in time. As a result, for a month after the airport opened, the system had to be operated on a semi-automatic mode. Nevertheless, most of the problems were worked out within a month, and the airport continued to operate normally, exceeding all expectations.

After the September 11, 2001 attacks, the airport’s security system was upgraded to state of the art systems, and medical inspection equipment was also upgraded in response to the various epidemics occurring in neighboring countries. In addition, following the advice of ICAO on upgrading various facilities as well as independently pursuing airport enhancements have caused the airport to be recognized as the most technologically advanced airport in Asia.

Due to the positive response towards the airport, its air traffic increased tremendously. By early 2002, it became apparent that the airport would be saturated by 2006. As a result, in February 2002, the construction of the second phase was initiated. Originally, the construction were supposed to have ended by December 2008. However, due to the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the construction schedule was modified to allow the construction to end by July 2008.

On November 15, 2006, the Airbus A380 landed at the airport as part of the first leg of its certification trip. During the visit, the airport observed the operation of other air traffic especially during ground operations. In addition, the plane was docked into one of its boarding gates to ensure that the aircraft was fully compatible with the airport. The results were satisfactory, confirming that the airport would be fully Airbus A380 capable, from the runways to the taxiways, and up to every single boarding dock.

To further upgrade service, Incheon and major Korean logistics firm Hanjin Corporation (parent company of the Korean Flag Carrier, Korean Air) have signed a contract on 10 January 2008 to build a nine-story hospital near the airport. Once construction is complete in 2011, the Yeongjong Medical Centre is expected to serve nearby residents and 30,000 domestic and international tourists who visit Korea every year to receive medical services.[6]

Timeline

Construction stages

New satellite building under construction.

The airport was originally planned to be built in three phases, incrementally increasing airport capacity as the demand grew. This was changed, however, to four phases sometime after the airport was opened.

Phase 1

This was the first stage the airport was in. It has a capacity of 30 million passengers per year, and a cargo capacity of 1.7 million metric tonnes yearly. In this phase, a passenger terminal with a floor space of 496,000 square metres, two parallel runways, a control tower, an administrative building, a transportation centre (the Integrated Transportation Centre, designed by Terry Farrell & Partners), and integrated operations centre, three cargo terminals, international business center, and a government office building were constructed.

Phase 2

Phase 2 construction began in 2002 and was originally expected to be completed in December 2008. However, in an attempt to have the airport ready for the 2008 Beijing Olympics which took place in August 2008, the schedule was modified and Phase 2 construction was completed on June 20, 2008. During this construction phase, a third parallel 4,000 meter-long runway, a 16.5 hectare concourse which is connected to the main passenger building via two parallel 870m long underground passageways, and a 13 hectare cargo terminal area were added. With the completion, the airport has an annual capacity of 410,000 flights, 44,000,000 passengers, and nearly 4,500,000 metric tonnes of cargo. In addition, there were numerous equipment upgrades during the phase, including the newer and better ASDE-X with MRI (Multi Radar Tracking) function, and the ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) system with the RIMCAS (Runway Incursion Monitoring and Conflict Alert System) function. The installation of four additional sets of ASDE-X antennas is planned to reduce blind spots during heavy rainfall and in preparation for the new runway.

Phase 3

The exact modifications are currently unknown, as Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) has announced that the Master Plan would be reviewed and modified upon completion of the Phase 2 expansion. Nevertheless, it is known that the airport will add 2 additional passenger concourses, and a south east passenger terminal, with the Intra Airport Transport (IAT) being extended to cover all passenger terminals and concourses. Recently, IIAC confirmed that its original plan of constructing a new passenger terminal on the transportation center area has been modified. It now has a plan to build the terminal on the north field of the airport.

Phase 4

Estimated to be complete in 2020 this is the final and the ultimate construction stage. Upon completion, the airport will have 2 passenger terminals, 4 satellite concourses, 128 gates, and 4 parallel runways. It will be able to handle 100 million passengers and 7 million metric tonnes of cargo annually, with further possible expansions. The airport is projected to be transformed into one of the top ten busiest in the world by 2020.

Passenger facilities

Main passenger terminal

Incheon Airport - Arrivals
Incheon Airport - Airside
Incheon Airport - Gate Area

The main passenger terminal is the largest in area in South Korea, and the fourth largest passenger terminal in the world, after Beijing Capital International Airport's Terminal 3, Hong Kong International Airport's Terminal 1 and Suvarnabhumi Airport, measuring at 496,000 square metres. It is 1060 metres long, 149 meters wide, and 33 metres high. Its construction cost was 1.3816 trillion South Korean Won. It was built using the best technology available to Korea to create an efficient working place for the Airlines and the members of the Airport as well as providing convenient facilities to passengers to give a "warm and cozy feeling", especially to those traveling long trips. The terminal has 44 boarding ports (all of which can accommodate the new Airbus 380), 50 customs inspection ports, 2 biological quarantine counters, 6 stationary and 14 portable passenger quarantine counters, 120 arrival passport inspection counters, 8 arrival security ports, 28 departure security ports, 252 check in counters, and 120 departure passport inspection counters. When phase 2 construction is complete, the satellite boarding docks (concourses) will be connected to the main terminal using two parallel 870 metre long underground passageways equipped with IATs (Intra Airport Transit). Transit to the IBC (International Business Centre) will be provided using the PMS (People Mover System).

Passenger Concourse A

The passenger concourse A was completed at the end of May 2008 and all foreign airlines are using this terminal (Gate 101-132) since June 10th 2008. Korean Air and Asiana Airlines are using the main terminal(Gate 1-50).

Baggage handling system

The baggage handling system at Incheon International Airport was initially designed to process 31,000 pieces of luggage per hour, increasing as the airport matured and further expansions were carried out. It utilizes a central computer controlled automatic tilt-tray system that automatically sorts baggage and routes them to their correct destinations by reading the barcode labels as the baggage travels through the system. By design, the average design processing times are 5 minutes for arrival, 15 minutes for departure, and 10 minutes for baggage transfer between planes. The system is completely automatic unless one of the bar codes cannot be read by the barcode reader. In that case, the baggage with the unreadable barcode tag is automatically routed to a facility where airport employees read the barcode manually and have the baggage routed to their correct destination manually. Upon opening of the airport, the system was found to have flaws with its automatic operation and the facility had to be operated on a semi-automatic basis. The flaws have since been corrected and removed. The system consists of a 20 km long conveyor belt. They are separated into standard cargo processing, and large cargo processing. Standard cargo is defined as having a height, width, length, and weight less than 700mm, 450mm, 900mm, and 50Kg respectively and large cargo is defined as having a height, width, length, and weight less than 700mm, 600mm, 1500mm, and 70Kg respectively. Large cargo are handled separately and are sent to different baggage claim counters. Therefore, it is required to check in at a separate entrance. Currently, the large cargo handling system is the only one in which fragile items can be safely loaded on to an airplane aside from carrying it on.

Cargo Terminal Complex

Korean Air planes awaiting departure.
Korean Air flight taxiing out at Incheon Airport.

The Cargo Terminal Complex comprises three cargo terminals, five separate warehouses, 24 parking stands, and administration offices. Each cargo terminal is designed to provide each carrier with unique services, and a cargo warehouse (approximately 3,500 square meters). They are separated into three areas, import, passing and export. The logical manner in which the terminals were designed allow for a highly efficient operation. The cargo terminals also comes with an advanced computer system that helps track each cargo in real time. Using the systems, managers can view individual package information, tracking information, storage information, etc in real time. The terminals also feature various other high tech technologies.

The Cargo Terminal Complex was designed to be able to process 1.7 million tons of cargo per year. However, due to the increased demands, the operators of Cargo A Terminal and Cargo B Terminal has opted to expand their facilities onto the land that is available nearby. As a result, the total processing ability of the complex is currently rated at 2.7 million tons per year. The C Terminal, was not able to expand however, due to the lack of direct airside access. Once Phase II expansion is complete, the airport will have a processing ability of around 4.9 million metric tons per year. This is because the expansion which was originally designed to allow an expansion to 4.5 million tons per year would be adding on top of the current processing ability, which includes the expansions by Korean Air Cargo and Asiana Cargo which was conducted separately on a piece of land that did not conflict with the airport expansion plans.

The Cargo Terminal Complex is operated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, nonstop. In addition, the automation systems had been upgraded. As a result, it is typical for the airport to output an extra 2 million tons per year processing capability than the original design.

A Terminal

This Cargo Terminal is operated by Korean Air Cargo. It is the largest cargo terminal by both size and capacity. It has a special ability to be able to process special types of cargo such as those requiring refrigeration, or those carrying live animals. This facility has been expanded once in March 2 of 2005 to allow a total processing capability of 1.35 million tons per year. The terminal has an area of 60,000 square meters.

B Terminal

This Cargo Terminal is operated by Asiana Cargo. Although its capacity was to be expanded to 800,000 tons per year, the diminished demand for cargo transportation on Asiana originating from a pilot strike in 2005 has caused the plans to be modified. Currently, the terminals are capable of processing 750,000 tons per year. The terminal has an area of 40,000 square meters.

C Terminal

This Cargo Terminal is operated by the Incheon International Airport Foreign Carrier Cargo Terminal Company. Its users include FedEX, UPS, DHL, as well as other airlines. Due to its location, it could not expand its facilities as with the other terminals without conflicting with the existing plans for airport expansion. As a result, the IIAC is currently constructing a new terminal that would by operated by the IIAC Foreign Carrier Cargo Terminal Co. Once this new terminal is constructed, FedEx and UPS is expected to move into the new terminal while other cargo operators are expected to use the existing terminal.

The terminal is 420 meters long, 120 meters wide, and 19.65 meters tall. Its first floor (warehouse) has a total area of 54,203.32 square meters, and other floors occupy 12,708.88 square meters. Its current total processing capability is 600,000 metrics tons per year. 51 different cargo companies use this complex. This cargo terminal also has an administrative building nearby which houses a snack store, three restaurants, recreation facility, administrative offices, and stationary stores as well as various other facilities. The building is 63m X 36m X 21.55m in dimensions and has a total of 6 floors; one basement, four regular floors, and one roof top floor. Its total area is 8,619.23 square meters and houses 120 different companies and government agencies.

Operation facilities and infrastructures

Control tower

Incheon Airport - Traffic Centre

Located at the center of the airport, the 22 story Control Tower is 100.4 meters tall and is illuminated 24 hours a day. On its highest floor is located a parabolic antenna that is used by the Airport Surface Detection Equipment (ASDE) to detect all airplanes and obstacles within 5 km of the tower. The upper floors are used by ground and tower controllers while the lower floors are mostly for support operations. The control tower has a total area of 179 square meters making it the 3rd largest in the world as of 2001.

Orient Thai Airlines at Incheon

Runways

At Incheon International Airport, there are three parallel paved asphalt runways in operation, 15R/33L, 15L/33R and 16/34. Runway 15R/33L and 15L/33R is 3,750 meters long, 60 meters wide, and 1.05 meters thick. Runway 16/34 is 4000 meters long. Currently, runway 15R/33L is used mostly for departures while runway 15L/33R is used mostly for arrivals. This is especially evident from the amount of rubber present on each runway; runway 15L/33R has more rubber on it due to the constant landings. A third parallel 16L/34R runway 4,000 meters long began operation from June 2008. Landing and takeoffs of most passenger flights is done on the new runway and the existing runway 15R/33L while runway 15L/33R is mostly used for cargo flights for its proximity with the cargo terminals. Although, designation wise runway is labelled 33 and 34, all three runways have same heading. Once Phase 4 construction is complete, the airport will have 4 parallel runways, two of them 3,750 meters long and the other two 4,000 meters long. Currently, all runways are equipped with ILS CAT IIIb at both sides allowing for operation in visibility conditions as low as 50 meters. As of the date of upgrade, Incheon International Airport was the only airport in Asia to have full ILS CAT IIIb capability. The runway lightings at Incheon International Airport (as well as the taxi lights) are tied into special computers at the control tower. As a result, the Air Traffic Controllers can easily provide progressive taxiing to an aircraft by setting the computer to manipulate the taxi and runway lights so that it will lead them to their designated gate or parking stand.

Navigation and communication facilities

Meteorological facilities

The Meteorological System at Incheon International Airport consists of an Automatic Weather Observation System (AWOS), Low level Wind shear Alert System (LWAS), Terminal Doppler Weather Radar (TDWR), Long Range Doppler Radar, Weather Station Headquarter, and a Weather Balloon Launching facility.

Emergency response

Airport Security Task Force

The Airport Security Task Force is in charge of patrolling the airport perimeter, passenger terminal, transportation center, auxiliary facilities and free economic zones. They are trained to deal with a wide variety of conditions and situations. As a response to on going terrorist threats and various epidemics in the region, they are equipped with the latest gears and specially trained to deal with situations involving terrorists or epidemic control. The security task force consists of police officers and SWAT operators from the Incheon Police Department. Only the specially trained officers are allowed onto the task force and they are on duty 24 hours a day over three different shifts. The facilities related to the Airport Security Task Force are the Airport Security Force Headquarters (Guardhouse), Airport Security Force Branch Office, and the Weapons armory.

Fire Department

This facility is responsible for all emergency situations relating to fire and search and rescue missions. The firefighters are specially trained for dealing with jet fires as well as conducting search and rescue missions on burning planes. They are also trained to be able to respond to natural disasters. There are two fire departments at Incheon International Airport. One is located near the north side of runway 15L/33R and the other is located at the south side of runway 15R/33L near the passenger terminal. Together, they are capable of responding to incidents on the runway usually within 2 minutes, 3 minutes max under ideal conditions.

Awards, certifications, and ratings

Accidents and incidents

Accidents and incidents at the airport

No serious fatal accidents or incidents have been recorded to date.

Accidents and incidents involving the airport

Airlines and destinations

Main article: Airlines and destinations at Incheon International Airport

Cargo airlines

Main article: Airlines and destinations at Incheon International Airport

Ground transportation

Bus

Seoul

Incheon

Gyeonggi

Other express buses

Airport circulation

Rail

The Incheon International Airport Railroad (A'REX), was brought into service on March 23, 2007. The station is located in the Transportation Center adjacent to the main terminal building. The trains of A'REX can speed up to 120 km/h, almost two times faster than a normal subway train and cutting the travel time from Gimpo Airport to approximately 30 minutes. As of 2007, only the first phase of the construction was opened to the public (Incheon International Airport - Gimpo Airport). The remaining phase of the construction is expected to be completed by 2010 (Gimpo Airport - Seoul Station).

Commuter train stations

Express train stations

Car

The airport provides a short term parking lot for 4000 cars and a long term parking lot for 6000 cars. When utilizing the long term parking lot, shuttle service to the passenger terminal and the cargo terminal is available. When using the short term parking lot, moving walkways are available to the passenger terminal. Car rental is located nearby the long term parking lot. Link to the main land is provided by the Yeongjong Bridge and an expressway. Tolls are collected at the bridge. There are currently plans to build a second expressway to the island from central Incheon.

Taxi

Taxis will normally occupy the area designated as taxi stands outside the arrival floor. The taxis will have two distinct colors; white (silver) and black. The white taxis are "normal taxis" (일반 택시) which are colored in white with either a blue or green cap on the top of the car. The normal taxis have a basic fee of 1900 won (as of November 2007) and additional charges are based on how long you spend your time on your taxi. The fee rises by 100 won each time the machine counts down to zero from 200 (1 on the count-down will be much less than a full second).

Special taxis, also known as the "deluxe taxis" (모범 택시), are in black color and are more expensive than normal taxis. These taxis charge 4500 won (as of November 2007) for 1 kilometer and an additional 1500 won for every 3 kilometers the taxi runs. Differences between the normal taxi is usually limited to better cars, seats, and equipments such as GPS positioning devices and traffic situation indicators (although nowadays more than half the cabs are decorated with these machines). These deluxe cabs, unlike normal taxis which only take cash, usually carry mobile credit-card terminals which allow customers to use worldwide-accepted credit cards such as Visa, Mastercard, or American Express.

Most taxi drivers operating at the airport can speak English, but in most cases, not fluently and it will be difficult to understand. As a result, some taxi companies offer free translation via cell phone (provided by the taxi driver, to be returned after call is complete), but in most cases, the taxi drivers will not allow this service as the companies force the taxi drivers to pay for the minutes. It is recommended to have your destination written down on a piece of paper before entering a taxi. Be advised, in most cases, the passenger will be expected to pay for the tolls in addition to the taxi fare. Tips are not necessary.

Ferry

A ferry service from Yeongjong-do to the mainland is available. However, the ferry dock is located considerable distance from the airport and an alternative means of transport must be sought upon arriving at the island to be able to get to the airport.

See also

Future developments in Seoul · Incheon · Gyeonggi-do
Skyscrapers
Incheon Tower (2011) · Lotte Super Tower · International Business Center · AIG Main Tower · KORAIL Tower
Other buildings
Urban Hive (2008) · Seoul City Hall (2011)
Other projects
Seocho Samsung Town · Dongdaemun Design Plaza & Park · Yeonsei Songdo Global Academic Complex · Incheon Inter City
Transport
Bridges
Incheon Bridge
Subway
Incheon Subway Line 2 / Line 3 · Seoul Subway Line 7 extension / Line 9 · Bundang Line extension · Sin Bundang Line · Sin Ansan Line · Suin Line · AREX extension
Light rail
EverLine (2009)
Aviation
Incheon Airport expansion · Incheon Tiger Airways
IFEZ
New Songdo City · Yeongjong Island · Cheongna
Incheon Free Economic Zone · Seoul Metropolitan Subway · Seoul Light Rapid Transit
Public transport in the Seoul Metropolitan Area
Railroad
KTX
Gyeongbu Line · Honam Line
Line 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 (2009.5/2014/2016)
Korail
Bundang · Jungang · Gyeongui (2009) · Gyeongchun (2010) · Suin (2009/2013/2015) · Janghang (2008.12) · New Ansan (2011)
Incheon subway
Line 1 · 2 (2014)
Seoul LRT
EverLine (2009)
Other
AREX · New Bundang (2010)
Expressways
#1 · #15 · #35 · #37 · #50 · #100 · #110 · #120 · #130 · Seoul-Chuncheon
Buses
Seoul · Gyeonggi-do · Incheon · Seoul Express Bus Terminal · Central City · Dongseoul Bus Terminal · Sangbong Intercity Bus Terminal · Seoul Nambu Bus Terminal
Airports
Incheon International · Gimpo International
Related topics
T-money · Upass · eB Card · KTX Family Card · hi-pass

References

  1. ↑ Airport traffic record
  2. ↑ "Airport Service Excellence Awards". ACI website (2008-02-27). Retrieved on 2008-09-24.
  3. ↑ Supply Chain Leaders - Incheon International Airport Corporation
  4. ↑ "Gimpo-Incheon airport rail opens". Korea Herald (2007-03-24). Retrieved on 2007-03-23.
  5. ↑ Incheon airport serving Seoul wins top honor for service - International Herald Tribune
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 http://www.kois.go.kr/News/News/NewsView.asp?serial_no=20080111012
  7. ↑ http://airportservicequality.ch/news
  8. ↑ "Premium Travelers Name Incheon International Top Airport Global Traveler Readers have Chosen the Airport as the Best in the World". PR Web Website (2007-01-21). Retrieved on 2006-01-27.

External links