An aerial view of Incheon International Airport in an undated file photoINCHEON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT CORPORATION
A little more than 25 years after opening, Incheon International Airport has joined the billion-passenger club — faster than any other major global hub airport, according to the Incheon International Airport Corporation on Tuesday.
It reached the milestone ahead of its global peers, such as Munich Airport, which took 33 years and 10 months, Changi Airport at 35 years and five months, Narita International Airport at 39 years and two months and Dubai International Airport at 58 years and two months.
Since Incheon International Airport’s opening in March 2001, the airport has seen an average of 108,000 passengers a day, 4,513 an hour and 75 every minute.
The 1 billionth passenger was Ayaka Hara, a 28-year-old Japanese national departing for Tokyo on Korean Air Flight KE713. Incheon International Airport Corporation held a ceremony at the Great Hall in Terminal 2, where Hara received a commemorative plaque and airline tickets.
With the exception of the Covid-19 pandemic, Incheon International Airport has maintained steady growth. It welcomed its 100 millionth cumulative passenger in 2005, surpassed 500 million in 2016 and reached 900 million in March 2025.
The airport has also expanded significantly since its opening. When it first opened, 47 airlines served the airport, connecting it to 109 cities in 33 countries. Today, 101 airlines serve 183 cities in 53 countries.
Aircrafts are seen parked on the tarmac at Incheon International Airport on June 16.YONHAP
In November 2025, the airport completed the fourth phase of its expansion project, increasing its annual passenger capacity to 106 million people and making it the world's third-largest airport by infrastructure capacity.
"Incheon International Airport has grown into an airport serving 1 billion passengers thanks to the government's support, the public's trust and the dedication of everyone working at the airport," Kim Bum-ho, acting president of Incheon International Airport Corporation, said. "We will continue investing in our facilities and innovating our services to strengthen the nation's aviation competitiveness."
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
