Expanded Incheon International Airport to accommodate over 100 million passengers annually

[Anchor]

Incheon International Airport, the main airport of our country, is expanding.

With the completion of the Terminal 2 expansion project that took seven years, operations will begin in December, allowing it to accommodate over 100 million passengers annually.

Reporter Oh Dae-seong has visited the site in advance.

[Report]

This is the interior of the expanded Terminal 2.

Above the airline check-in counters, which passengers first encounter, an AI incorporated sculpture is in motion.

[Kim Do-hyung/Head of Communication Facilities Team, Incheon International Airport Corporation: "Thinking of nature, we expressed the movements of endangered animals from the sky, sea, and land."]

A large LED screen measuring 77 meters wide and 8 meters tall in the departure area welcomes travelers with a variety of videos, including the fan dance.

After the departure inspection, the distance to the farthest boarding gate is about 850 meters.

So, a designated space has been established for autonomous driving shuttles along one side of the moving walkway.

Its length is approximately 380 meters.

This is expected to help passengers with imminent departures or those with mobility challenges.

Aiming to be an eco-friendly airport, the curved ceiling also allows for natural lighting.

For passengers with long layover times, an outdoor courtyard with pavilions has been created as a resting space.

[Jo Won-ki/Head of Terminal Construction Team 2, Incheon International Airport Corporation: "There is discomfort of not being able to access outside air (inside the airport). We took the shape of the pavilion in Changdeokgung, which is said to be the most beautiful."]

In the arrival area, large media displays creatively present images of arriving flights, reducing the boredom of waiting for arriving passengers.

With the terminal expansion and the addition of runways, the annual passenger capacity will increase from the existing 77 million to 106 million.

[Bae Seok-joo/Director of Airport Policy, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport: "To put it in perspective, 100 million passengers is a huge number, ranking about third in the world... Traditionally, airports have served transportation functions, but now they also encompass culture and art."]

Incheon International Airport Corporation plans to start operation of the expanded terminal in December, after completing comprehensive testing and operational readiness evaluations.

This is KBS News' Oh Dae-seong.