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Incheon Airport launches faster, cheaper new cargo route to the Americas via Hawaii

Published: 11 Jul. 2025, 16:37 Updated: 11 Jul. 2025, 20:08

Kim Young-il, head of air cargo logistics at Incheon International Airport Corporation, third from left, and Kim Do-gil, head of Air Premia's cargo business, fourth from left, pose with officials in front of the first shipment through Aloha Express at Incheon Airport on July 9. [INCHEON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT CORPORATION]

Incheon International Airport has launched a new cargo route to the Americas via Hawaii, aiming to slash transit times and shipping costs for Korean exporters.

Incheon International Airport Corporation announced Friday it developed the “Aloha Express,” a new transshipment route that moves cargo from Incheon to the U.S. mainland through Honolulu.

The initiative is designed to strengthen air cargo connectivity with the critical North American market.

The service uses Air Premia’s direct passenger flight from Incheon to Honolulu, which began operating in July. Alongside travelers, the airline transports freight as belly cargo to Hawaii. Once in Honolulu, the shipments transfer to Amazon Air’s extensive fleet, reaching 45 major cargo hubs across the U.S. mainland in a streamlined process.

The first shipment departed Incheon on Wednesday.

Rising demand for Korean food products and cultural content in the United States has driven up air cargo volumes from Korea, particularly for business-to-consumer e-commerce. However, peak seasons often bring shortages on Korea-U.S. cargo routes, forcing exporters to grapple with higher freight rates and delays.

By adding this new transshipment line, the airport authority expects to ease these burdens for local exporters and bolster Incheon’s cargo network to the Americas.

Hawaii’s proximity to Asia also offers clear logistical advantages. With a flight time of just eight hours from Incheon to Honolulu, the route could reduce total delivery times and costs by more than 20 percent compared to traditional airfreight options, depending on the final U.S. destination.

Incheon International Airport projects that the new service will create an additional 12,000 tons of Asia-U.S. transshipment cargo capacity annually.

“Even as geopolitical risks escalate, we will keep creating new cargo routes and uncovering demand to secure Incheon Airport’s unique competitiveness as a global logistics hub,” said Incheon International Airport Corporation President Lee Hak-jae.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY PARK YOUNG-WOO [[email protected]]