The opening in February from new Terminal 2 on the international airport of Seoul Incheon is the symbol of the ambitions displayed by both Korean AirKorea's national airline, as well as the national airport authorities. Incheon is ideally located in North Asia - the continent's largest aviation market - since it includes the giants of China and Japan as well as Korea and Taiwan. Korean Air offers flights to these three countries from nearly 30 cities in Asia. China continental Europe, in almost a dozen destinations across the Japan in addition to services to Hong Kong, Macau and Taipei. It also maintains a domestic network to the country's largest cities. It is conceivable that the current warming between North and South Korea could lead in the short term to an air link to Pyongyang, as Korean Air has already served this city with charter flights in the past.
bring all Skyteam airlines under one roof
Terminal 2 is used mainly by Korean Air and its three main partners in thealliance Skyteam - Air France, KLM and Delta Air Lines. " From here 2023the authorities will be expanding the terminal with a programme of 4.2 billionThis will increase capacity from 18 to 28 million additional passengers. This will enable all the Skyteam airlines to be grouped under one roof. "explains Kim Do Hyung, spokesperson for Korean Air. On this date, Incheon will have a total capacity of 85 million passengers, Terminal 1 will be able to handle 55 million passengers. A fourth runway will be built in parallel with the extension of terminal 2. In the long term, Incheon will be able to handle more than 100 million passengers, making it the second busiest hub in Asia, just behind the United States. Beijing.
Stimulating transit traffic
It is on this point that Korean Air and Incheon hope to position themselves. Incheon is one of the best airports in the world, regularly competing with Singapore the title of best airport in Asia. And yet, since 2013, the hub has lost several places in the rankings of transit airports. Passenger transfers are actually falling. From 18% in 2013, the share of transit passengers fell in 2016 to 12.5%, with 2017 figures yet to be published. The authorities are hoping to turn things around with this new high-tech terminalIn addition, there are financial incentives for all airlines opening new routes or adding flight frequencies.
" From and to Seoul, Korean Air offers direct international services to 98 towns in 36 countries. Our twelve Skyteam partners in Incheon operate direct flights to 32 destinations. "says Kim Do Hyung. The carrier and its partners are thus ensuring optimum connections: it takes just 45 minutes to transfer from one flight to another, including between the two terminals, which are served by an automatic shuttle service.
Seoul is therefore an ideal hub for Europeans with fast connections to North Asia (China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan), South-East Asia (particularly the Philippines and Vietnam) and the Pacific. For flights arriving from Europe, Korean Air offers connections to a dozen Japanese cities, almost thirty Chinese cities and around fifteen cities in South-East Asia.
From Europe, the airline serves 15 destinationsof which Paris CDG and Amsterdamthe two hubs of its European partner Air France-KLM. This September, it is opening a regular service to Zagreb, with three flights a week, becoming the only Asian airline to serve the Croatian capital. For the 2019 season, the carrier will be opening new routes in Asia and offering more frequencies to its existing destinations. " But we can't reveal anything about our Asia programme at the moment. "explains Kim Do Hyung.
Optimised check-in and baggage transfer
For SkyteamIncheon is therefore an essential hub, covering the whole of China and Japan, two crucial business markets. And while the alliance already has very large hubs in China - in Guangzhou and Beijing with China Southern and in Shanghai with China Eastern -Incheon is making the difference through its efficiency and above all its exceptional quality of service in the new Terminal 2.
Check-in is one of the most efficient in the world, allowing passengers to check in at the terminal in just a few minutes. You can even travel "hands free" by sending your luggage from your place of stay in Seoul using the Hands Free" programme. Baggage transfer is fully automated, offering near-perfect reliability. According to air transport statistics, the ratio of lost luggage in Seoul is close to zero: two pieces of luggage lost for every million. This is the lowest rate of any airport in the world.
If a suspicious object is detected on baggage - such as telephone battery chargers, for example - secure control areas have been created in the transit area, allowing passengers to remove the offending object. Checks at passport are just as fast: it takes less than five minutes to complete the formalities.
All that remains is to enjoy the superb Terminal 2. As well as the usual shops, Seoul is also innovating here. There are plenty of leisure areas. You don't have to be a child to enjoy the virtual reality games where you can drive a racing car, hang-glide over the Alps or even play sports. You can also have your coffee served by a robot or learn to create objects in three dimensions. Concerts in a tree-lined 'plaza' reminiscent of Seoul's public squares and craft workshops are just some of the activities on offer to passengers.
One of the most popular areas for passengers with long transit times - and without access to a high-contribution lounge - is a rest area where sleeper seats are available free of charge. For high-spending passengers, Korean Air offers several lounges (business, first and VIP) with Korean and international culinary specialities. The only weak point is probably the business lounge, which is unfortunately very busy and where it is sometimes difficult to relax... Then there's the plaza with its concerts!
