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Incheon International Airport records highest-ever number of daily passengers at almost 240,000

Published: 05 Jan. 2026, 18:39

Travelers crowd the departure hall of Terminal 1 at Incheon International Airport on Dec. 23, 2025, ahead of the Christmas holiday. [YONHAP]

Incheon International Airport recorded its highest-ever number of daily passengers on Sunday, with nearly 240,000 travelers passing through its terminals, airport authorities said on Monday.

According to the Incheon International Airport Corporation, 239,530 passengers used the airport that day — surpassing the previous single-day record of 234,171 from Aug. 4, 2019, by around 5,000 people.

Compared to the same day last year, when 210,891 passengers were recorded, this marks a 13.7 percent increase.

By route, traffic on China-bound flights saw the largest jump, rising 49.2 percent on year. The airport attributed the spike to China’s visa-free entry program and the growing demand among Korean travelers to visit the country.

Passenger traffic to and from Hong Kong and Taiwan also increased by 24 percent.

Meanwhile, Southeast Asian routes saw only a modest growth of 1.7 percent, affected in part by recent instability in Cambodia.

To handle the surge, the airport has expanded its use of automated services such as Smart Pass and is adjusting operations at departure halls to improve the flow of crowds.

“We will continue strengthening inspections across our facilities and systems to enhance safety and convenience for all airport users,” Incheon International Airport Corporation President Lee Hak-jae said.

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.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]