Incheon Airport to completely revamp Terminal 1 by 2035 with $129 billion investment

Incheon International Airport disclosed a comprehensive overhaul of its aging Terminal 1, targeting a 2035 completion date and a budget exceeding 1.77 trillion won. The upgrade will swap out outdated mechanical, electrical, telecommunications and fire-fighting infrastructure installed 25 years ago and convert the baggage handling system to 100 percent screening. Design is slated for completion by September of next year, with ground-breaking planned for 2028, and the work will be staged in at least three zones to maintain operations.

Officials are also weighing a temporary replacement terminal on spare land to allow a full, simultaneous rebuild. The redesign will merge the current six departure and arrival halls into a unified layout and reorganize duty-free and commercial spaces to improve passenger movement. After the renovation, the terminal’s annual capacity is projected to increase from 54 million to 64 million travelers.