Incheon Airport prepares for record daily foreign arrivals with emergency staffing
Incheon International Airport expects up to 60,000 foreign arrivals per day around China's National Day, triggering emergency immigration staffing measures.
Between Sept. 30 and Oct. 3, Incheon International Airport anticipates daily foreign arrivals exceeding 50,000, reaching as many as 60,000 on Oct. 2, slightly above the previous record of 59,000. The Incheon Airport Immigration Office, under the Ministry of Justice, will activate a four-day emergency plan, raising immigration officers in arrival halls from 128 to 188 and increasing departure-hall staff from 38 to 54, while opening some halls up to half an hour earlier.
A similar staffing boost is planned for the Chuseok holiday, when passenger traffic could hit 245,318 on Sept. 27. Kim Jeong-do, head of the office, said employees’ commuting schedules will be altered and personnel from document-inspection units will be reassigned to screening duties to avoid gaps. The measures also include more supervisors and enhanced pre-monitoring of travelers to reduce congestion.
Why it matters
The surge tests Korea’s border capacity and could affect travel experience and security during major holidays.
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