When you visit South Korea, the chances are that Incheon International Airport would be the first place you step on in The Land of The Morning Calm. And the first impression of South Korea wouldn’t be disappointing.
Location
446, Je2terminal-daero, Jung-gu, Incheon, South Korea
Direction
> Airport Railroad: Get off at Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 station (인천공항 2터미널)
> Parking: available
Contact
Website: airport.kr
Instagram: @incheon_airport
Facebook: @incheonairport
YouTube: Incheon Airport
Incheon International Airport, the Gate to South Korea
Although South Korea is not an island nation, it is not easy to find ways to come visit South Korea other than flying due to the Korean Peninsula situation. Thus, Incheon Airport is the front gate of South Korea to many international visitors. I have flown through the airport many times, but this was my first time to transfer at the recently opened Terminal 2.
Incheon Airport is the largest airport in South Korea. Only international flights arrive and depart here except for transferring flights. Other domestic flights from and to Seoul use Gimpo Airport. The airport was built on Yeongjongdo Island by reclamation and opened in 2001. It started with only Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 opened in 2018 right before I arrived. The addition of the 3rd terminal and more runways are on a plan.
One of the World’s Best Airports
Incheon Airport is the world’s 14th busiest airport with over 71 million annual passengers (2019). It is not the world’s largest airport, but it has been praised as one of the best airports in the world. Skytrax, the airport review and ranking site, includes Incheon Airport among the top 14 five-star airports in the world. In addition, Incheon Airport won Airport Service Quality Awards (ASQ) from Airport Council International (ACI) for not one, not three, but twelve consecutive years.
When you walk around the airports, you will easily find the reasons why it deserves such compliments. First of all, if you are an avid shopper, be alert to your schedule. You may lose the sense of time here. The duty-free shops at Incheon Airport once claimed the title of the highest revenue among duty-free shops at airports in the world. Numerous retail stores are next to each other through the airport as well.
Is a long layover waiting for you? No worries. The airport has a CGV movie theater, a Korean sauna (찜질방/jjimjilbang), and religious service areas (for Buddhists, Protestants, Roman Catholics, and Muslims). If you need to stay overnight at the airport, two hotels, Darakhyu Capsule Hotel and Transit Hotel, are located inside each terminal so you don’t have to leave the terminal, unlike other airports. A wide range of restaurants and cafes? Checked.
If you want to do more than shopping and eating, all you have to do is simply exploring the airport. The airport hosts mini-concerts, cultural performances, and impressive artworks through the terminals. If you have extra time, you can go to the observatory where you can see airplanes take off and land. You can find details on its website.
Transfer / Public Transportation at Incheon International Airport
If you are heading to Seoul, you can choose any transportation that is the most convenient for you: taxi, bus, airport railroad, call-ban, or ask the kindest friend of yours to pick you up. If your final destination is other than Seoul or Incheon, you need to transfer: (1) If you go to Busan, Daegu, or Jeju, transfer at Incheon Airport (2) If you need to go to other cities than these three cities, you need to transfer at Gimpo Airport, take a ride KTX, or go to Express Bus Terminal. Here are details for public transportation at the airport or how to transfer.
Airlines at Incheon International Airport
Terminal 1
- Air Astana
- Air Busan
- Air Canada
- Air China
- Air India
- Air New Zealand
- American Airlines
- Asiana Airlines
- Cathay Pacific
- Emirates
- Ethiopian Airlines
- Etihad Airways
- EVA Air
- Finnair
- Hawaiian Airlines
- Hong Kong Airlines
- Lao Airlines
- LOT Polish Airlines
- Lufthansa
- Malaysia Airlines
- MIAT Mongolian Airlines
- Myanmar Airways International
- Philippine Airlines
- Qatar Airways
- Qingdao Airlines
- Shandong Airlines
- Shenzhen Airlines
- Singapore Airlines
- Thai Airways
- Turkish Airlines
- United Airlines
- Uzbekistan Airways
- Vietnam Airlines
Terminal 2
- Aeroflot Russian Airlines
- Aeroméxico
- Air France
- China Airlines
- Delta Air Lines
- Garuda Indonesia
- KLM
- Korean Air
- XiamenAir
Concourse
- Air Seoul
- China Eastern Airlines
- China Southern Airlines
- Jeju Air
- Jin Air
- Scoot
- Spring Airlines
- T’way Air
10 Things to Know Before Traveling to South Korea
Are you planning to travel to South Korea? Find out 10 things to help your Korean trip easier and more exciting.
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