Incheon Airport Tops 38.39 Million International Passengers, Overtaking Heathrow as Iran Conflict Diverts Traffic
Updated
Updated · The Korea Herald · Aug 13
Incheon Airport Tops 38.39 Million International Passengers, Overtaking Heathrow as Iran Conflict Diverts Traffic
3 articles · Updated · The Korea Herald · Aug 13
Summary
38.39 million international passengers passed through Incheon in the first half, lifting it above Heathrow's 37.79 million and Changi's 34.53 million to the global top spot.
18.1% growth in transfer passengers to 4.24 million helped drive the rise after the US-Iran conflict cut traffic through Middle Eastern hubs; Europe-bound transfers jumped 63.2%.
44.4% of Incheon's second-quarter passengers were foreigners, a record share, as inbound travel from China and Japan strengthened Korea-bound demand.
November 2024 expansion works raised Incheon's annual international capacity to 106 million, and the airport now links 183 cities in 53 countries via 101 carriers.
Just over 25 years after opening, Incheon has also surpassed 1 billion cumulative passengers and is using the milestone to back Korea's goal of attracting 30 million inbound tourists.