Travelers walk through the duty-free area at the departure hall of Terminal 1 at Incheon International Airport ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, Thursday. Yonhap
Nearly 720,000 people are expected to travel overseas through Incheon International Airport during Korea’s six-day Lunar New Year holiday, with Japan emerging as the most popular destination amid a relatively short break, airport officials said Friday.
According to Incheon International Airport Corp., a total of 718,880 passengers, including transfer travelers, are projected to depart the country between Feb. 13 and 18. The Lunar New Year holiday, one of Korea’s most significant travel periods, runs for six days this year.
Japan accounted for the largest share of outbound travelers, with an estimated 185,432 passengers expected to visit the neighboring country. China followed with 123,486 travelers. Southeast Asian destinations collectively attracted about 204,084 travelers, while European countries accounted for 35,740 passengers.
Passenger traffic is expected to peak on the second day of the holiday, Saturday, when about 130,675 travelers are forecast to depart. The lightest traffic is projected for the final day of the holiday on Feb. 18, with 104,721 passengers expected to leave the country.
In response to the anticipated surge, the airport authority has implemented special transportation and congestion-management measures. These include opening 4,550 additional parking spaces to accommodate increased demand and deploying extra staff during peak hours to guide passengers and ease congestion on access roads leading to the airport.
Airport officials also urged travelers to plan carefully and make use of public transportation and digital services to reduce crowding.
“Arriving at the airport too early can actually worsen congestion,” an airport official said in a statement. “For a smoother travel experience, we encourage passengers to actively use public transport and smart airport services.”
Source: Korea Times News
