Travelers pack Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport on May 2 Black Combat 14 of the MMA competition will be held on May 6 with 15 matches Black Kombat has grown into Asia's 12th and 33rd global organizations with 43 "Fight Matrix" world ranking players in 1,144 days (3 years Inspire Arena is the largest venue in the history of Korean speculative sports even if the scope is expanded to stand-up hitters Looking at the career high points of the highly symbolic Black Combat 14 players' mixed martial arts ranking system "Fight Matrix" He will participate in the Inspire Arena tournament lightweight (70kg) match under the nickname "Mercury" obtained through the appearance of Godfather Game in the eighth season of the Black Combat Pro Audition which was released on YouTube channel from March to April 2025 Flavius Santos received 53 points for the "Fight Matrix" flyweight (57 kg) in the third quarter of 2019 The 53 points are currently 37th in UFC flyweight and 84.1% in the top who was at the lower level of the mixed martial arts No the highlight is that he overpowered Wellington Morang (29 Brazil) with one win and one loss in the Legacy Fighting Alliance LFA is the second largest organization in the world where 286 world ranking players from the "Fight Matrix" are active Flavius Santus had Wellington Morang TKO with his knees and fists 44 seconds into the game in July 2018 It is also an indispensable career to become a Naiza FC flyweight title challenger in August 2022 is the 10th and 26th world tournament in Asia signed with 54 world "Fight Matrix" players the biggest variable is that Flavius Santos is completely different from the internationally recognized flyweight and the lightweight who plays in Black Kombat 14 there is a bantamweight (61 kg) and a featherweight (66 kg) The point to watch at the Inspire Arena tournament is whether even a world-class player can handle the difference in the third weight class Flavius Santos himself does not seem to think that it is a reckless challenge This is because he has experience in lightweight as well as flyweight bantamweight featherweight but they have not lost yet with two wins and no losses It is a lightweight return match for the first time in 3,007 days (8 years 2 months and 26 days) and 14 games since he won two consecutive submissions in 3 minutes and 53 seconds between 2016 and 2017 Attention is focusing on whether he will be able to catch both rabbits with good match content and results in Black Kombat 14 "I'm going to Korea to continue my story as a fighter I will be responsible for the change in Black Kombat Everything is ready to make a new history in Korea The goal is to conquer Black Kombat and become a champion you will soon see the results that I have planned." - Mercury Flaviosantus Inspire Arena Contest Launched - ※ This service is provided by machine translation tool Bryson DeChambeau celebrates after winning LIV Golf Korea at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon on May 4 Location: Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul 6th in KBO) at Jamsil Baseball Stadium on Sunday The Landers open this game at +220 while the Twins are coming in at -275 SSG has a slugging percentage of .329 and have been rung up 257 times while getting the free base on 112 occasions They have earned 115 runs batted in in addition to 239 base knocks so far this year and their average at the plate sits at .237 The Landers have hit 35 two-baggers as a squad and have hit 18 balls out of the park They have racked up 118 runs while having a team OBP of .317 Get all of our KBO Parlay Picks Ji Hoon Choi is one batter you are going to want to keep your eye on for SSG Choi has hit 31 balls out of the park while knocking in 225 runs he stepped up to bat 2,874 times and has reached base with a hit 708 times Choi has recorded a batting average of .277 for his career in baseball He has earned a slugging percentage of .382 and he has a total of 976 bases He has fanned 366 times and has walked on 227 at-bats DOC’S SPORTS KBO BASEBALL has nailed 6 of our 7 top plays this season We are +3,035 on the season and Monday will feature a 7-unit totals selection you do not want to miss (first pitch is 1 a.m This play will be posted earlier afternoon and available to view and purchase through the start of the first pitch on Tuesday morning Get this play by signing-up below for a daily picks package from KBO Baseball You can get this top rated play complimentary when you set up a free $60 account here at Doc’s Sports and use part of it towards his a one day MLB package.  Join Now! The Landers have stolen 18 bags and have been thrown out 7 times which shows us their caught stealing percentage is 28.0% The SSG Landers have amassed 824 putouts on the campaign Their fielding percentage is holding steady at .978 which has them ranked 6th in Korean baseball and have a total of 28 double plays Their strikeout to walk ratio is 2.23 and their pitching staff holds a collective WHIP of 1.38 Landers pitchers have allowed 25 home runs and also 130 total runs (7th in KBO) SSG has surrendered 260 base hits (8.5 per 9 innings) as well as 119 earned runs The Landers are sitting with a team ERA of 3.91 on the year (4th in the league) The Twins have a slugging percentage of .396 and they earn 5.52 runs per outing (2nd in baseball) while walking 146 times as well as scoring 171 runs LG is sitting with 29 long balls for the year in addition to 156 runs batted in They have been called out on strikes on 228 instances (9th in baseball) and have totaled 268 base knocks The LG Twins have earned an OBP of .361 as well as a team batting average of .262 over the course of the season Chang-ki Hong is a batter who should be able to impact this game for LG Hong has hit .311 in addition to having 833 base hits with 1,068 total bases and also a .398 slugging percentage Hong has drawn a free base 485 times while fanning on 520 plate appearances His OBP comes in at .429 and he has earned a lifetime OPS of .827 they have been successful 18 times and been caught 4 times (18.2% caught stealing percentage) The LG Twins have turned 26 double plays and have a fielding percentage of .988 (1st in KBO) 13 errors and have accumulated 819 putouts on the season The Twins have a WHIP of 1.161 and have a FIP of 3.30 as a team for the season Their strikeout to walk ratio sits at 2.53 (266 strikeouts against 105 walks) They sit at 10th in baseball as a pitching staff in total hits given up with 212 They have allowed 19 dingers and they give up 3.30 runs per 9 innings (2nd in baseball) The LG pitching staff have allowed 100 runs on the season while having a team ERA of 3.20 (97 earned runs allowed) Parlay's Pundit's Pick: Take LG (-275) and under the total runs Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. 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Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here Get all of Today's Free KBO Picks Get all of Today's Expert KBO Picks LG has firmly maintained its sole lead by escaping from a long losing streak defeated manager Lee Sung-yong's SSG Landers 4-1 in the home game of the 2025 professional baseball KBO League at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 3rd which avenged its 1-2 defeat the previous day (2nd) and broke its five-game losing streak at the same time recorded 21 wins and 12 losses to secure its lone top spot which failed to win three consecutive games lost for the 16th time (15 wins and 1 draw) and its 50% winning rate collapsed in a day LG set up the starting list with Hong Chang-ki (right wing) SSG established a lineup of Jihoon Choi (center fielder) LG took the lead in a tight pitching match due to the good pitching of the starting pitchers of both teams Austin hit an RBI timely hit to the left with two outs and runners on the first and third bases With two outs and runners on first and second bases Moon Bo-kyung and Park Dong-won hit a two-run right-handed double and an RBI right-handed double but the batters were tied up by opposing starting pitcher Lim Chan-kyu and did not show any signs of doing so Kim Jihoon Choi (middle hit) and Choi Jun-woo (walk net) got on base after one out but Choi Jung only hit a double play by 6-4-3 (striker-2nd baseman-1st baseman) The silent SSG started its chase in the top of the seventh inning complete with a walk by Han Yu-sum and Park Sung-han and an infield hit by Kim Sung-hyun to the third base pinch hitter Ryan McBroom stepped down with a 6-4-3 double play SSG did its best to score a comeback point That's how LG ended its five-game losing streak LG starter Lim Chan-kyu threw 88 pitches and allowed four hits and one run in six innings to secure five wins (one loss) this season while Moon Bo-kyung (1 hit and two RBIs in 3 at-bats) shone in the lineup Austin (1 hit and 1 RBI in 4 at-bats) and Park Dong-won (2 hits and 1 RBI in 4 at-bats) also supported him solidly who made his debut in the first division on the day hit his first hit in the bottom of the fourth inning SSG was disappointed with the concentration of its batters with only seven hits and one score four runs and zero earned runs) worked hard but he lost his fifth game of the season (one win) due to lack of defense and scoring support I'm worried if I'll be able to play like a player in the game." It was the words of Choi Jung (SSG Landers) ahead of the match against the LG Twins in Jamsil on the 2nd defeated manager Yeom Kyung-yeop's LG 2-1 in an away game of the 2025 professional baseball KBO League at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul on the 2nd and 15 losses to match the 50% winning rate who returned to the first-team entry on the day after shaking off a hamstring injury suffered before the opening He started as the third designated hitter and took the lead in SSG victory by exploding his long-range power at a critical moment "I'm very worried about whether I can do well I'm worried if I can play like a player in the game I'm worried that I won't be able to hit the ball and swing after the ball passes," he sighed Choi Jeong showed his true value from the beginning of the first inning With Kim Sung-hyun's infield hit to shortstop 145-km fastball by left-hander Son Joo-young to draw a two-run arch to the left side with a distance of 110 meters but he showed off his great presence by getting four pitches automatically in the top of the seventh inning "(Choi) Jung's return and first home run brought a decisive trend to the team I met the fans' expectations," he said with a thumbs-up but when the fastball came into the strike zone I felt that my body wouldn't follow it while swinging He made an anomalous swing as if he wanted to hold the bat short and match it I didn't do the step and just tried to anchor it I think it became a home run because of its good ballistics I would have had a hit," Bash said with a smile "What I'm fortunate about today is that I got a good result in my first at-bat I would have fallen into (bad) thoughts as I worried who is famous for not expressing his emotions "I'm so happy that I played from my first at-bat to those who had been waiting for my return," he said "More people are expecting an active performance than before I had to live up to my expectations when I returned but I shouldn't have been wandering around After being called by the SK Wyverns (current SSG) as the first designation in 2005 who had a batting average of 0.288 (269 hits in 7892 times at bat) and a batting average of 0.922,561 RBIs (on-base plus slugging) in 2,293 games until last year leaving only four more to reach the first 500 home runs in KBO League history I'm not used to the first-team environment yet "I still can't believe it," he said with his eyes glistening "I'm just satisfied that I got a hit and an RBI today." Energy and chemical company SK Incheon Petrochemical a subsidiary of South Korea’s conglomerate SK Group has launched the first domestic production and supply of B30 biofuel for the shipping sector The company started supplying B30 marine fuel on April 26 blending its proprietary straight run fuel oil (SRFO) with 30% bio-based materials SK Incheon Petrochemical developed and verified the fuel blend in collaboration with JC Chemical and SK Innovation’s research institute ensuring it complies with ISO 8217 standards the B30 blended marine fuel can reduce carbon emissions by about 25% compared to existing marine fuel and is expected to see continued demand expansion in line with the carbon neutrality policy of the shipping sector In addition, this fuel has been certified by ISCC EU and complies with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) target to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fuel oil by 21% by 2030 SK Incheon Petrochemical’s SRFO is said to have high calorific value and safety which helps improve the fuel efficiency of ships and reduce maintenance costs the South Korean company plans to expand across the West Sea region as well as the global marine fuel market with this marine fuel blend “We will ensure that we can stably supply next-generation fuel that is both environmentally friendly and of high quality to domestic and foreign shipping companies,” said Yoon Young-ho “We expect that bio-heavy oil blended marine fuel will become a sustainable energy transition model that responds to greenhouse gas regulations in the shipping industry.” Daily news and in-depth stories in your inbox The Pioneers of Offshore Engineering GustoMSC part of NOV’s Marine and Construction business is recognized for providing advanced design & engineering consultancy for mobile offshore units and reliable equipment and technical knowledge into realistic & innovative ideas The performance of new and existing jack-ups Learn how Delta Air Lines leverages its connections with its Incheon International Airport hub as Northeast Asia's No Incheon International Airport (ICN) serves as a crucial gateway between the Americas and Asia and is one of the world’s busiest transportation hubs With Incheon as its major Asia-Pacific hub Delta operates more nonstop routes than any other non-Asian airlines.  and other destinations in Asia with the key partnership of Korean Air and Delta’s JV agreement. Delta and Korean Air offer 18 flights a day transporting over 2,000 passengers daily to destinations across Asia connecting 290 destinations in the Americas and 80 destinations in Asia. Delta and Korean Air have aligned products and services to ensure a seamless consistent and industry-leading customer experience Delta and Korean Air have earned the trust of both Asian and American customers to become the No Incheon International Airport also served as Asia's No with approximately 70 million connecting passengers in total approximately 2.61 million passengers traveling routes to the Americas (including Canada) showing a high transfer rate of 36.1%.  ICN expanded Terminal 2 and added a new runway boosting its annual flight capacity from 500,000 to 600,000 and increasing the airport's overall capacity to 160 million passengers The airport is also enhancing its facilities for travelers with innovations like autonomous transportation and simplified check-in process through kiosks ICN also provides special passenger experience beyond traveling by creating an art space ‘Art-Port,’ an outdoor park and the Korean Traditional Culture Center An increase in airport capacity has not resulted in longer wait times With the introduction of Smart Pass technology an optional identification process that leverages facial recognition passengers can complete immigration procedures without passports or boarding passes Learn about the robot helpers in Incheon Airport that provide invaluable assistance to customers across their travel journeys Delta Air Lines currently operates 35 weekly flights to ICN from Atlanta the airline will launch its first-ever nonstop route from Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) which will be the only direct flight linking SLC to Asia This new route is expected to strengthen connection between major hubs in Asia and the U.S Delta plans to operate the SLC-ICN route seven times per week By integrating Delta's unparalleled connectivity with ICN's optimized operational system Delta will not only continue to offer its passengers more flight options and exceptional customer experience but also provide the best travel experiences to our customers around the world Delta is boosting its global footprint with the launch of its first-ever nonstop service from Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) to Seoul-Incheon International Airport (ICN) on June 12 GUNS N' ROSES kicked off its 2025 world tour earlier tonight (Thursday South Korea's Songdo Moonlight Festival Park The concert marked the band's first live appearance with new drummer Isaac Carpenter the longest-serving drummer in GUNS N' ROSES' storied run GUNS N' ROSES' setlist for the Incheon show was as follows: Knockin' On Heaven's Door (Bob Dylan cover)14 is an accomplished American drummer and songwriter known for his dynamic contributions to alternative He rose to prominence in 1995 by co-founding LOUDERMILK while in high school only to be signed to Rick Rubin's label American Carpenter's career spans an impressive roster of acts including live and studio work with Duff McKagan's LOADED the hardcore metal outfit BARBARIANS OF CALIFORNIA in addition to his large session film and TV roster Carpenter has made a name for himself by uniquely blending versatility and groove with crushing force and technical skill cementing his reputation as a multifaceted drummer in the industry GUNS N' ROSES's "Because What You Want & What You Get Are Two Completely Different Things" tour will next hit the Middle East and Europe in late spring and early summer Frank first joined GUNS N' ROSES during a show in June 2006 helping anchor the rhythm section during subsequent tours including their recent outings featuring the reunited trio of singer Axl Rose Ferrer's last show with the band took place November 5 Ferrer laid down drums tracks on five songs on GUNS N' ROSES' most recent studio album He also appeared on the live portion of 2022's "Hard Skool" EP with former drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia appearing on the studio tracks and GUNS' ROSES' 2023 singles "Perhaps" and "The General" Isaac Carpenter AXL ROSE introduces ISAAC CARPENTER at his first show with GUNS N’ ROSES🔥 🔥 🔥 #isaaccarpenter #gunsnroses #GnFnRs #gnr2025 #southkorea Posted by The General Guns N' Roses on Thursday Explore the industry’s most accurate & comprehensive datasets Leverage the world’s largest fleet database and trusted aircraft values real-time & historical flight tracking & flight status Access the most trusted & comprehensive schedule data in the industry Access high-integrity NOTAMs & advanced flight information Analyze the most accurate & precise measure of aircraft & flight emissions Monitor industry standard aircraft utilization data The most trusted data and analytics in aviation Explore Cirium’s industry-leading data through API & Stream manage costs & seize commercial opportunities plan for market demand & airport services Improve the traveler experience & optimize travel management Advance market opportunities in aircraft manufacturing & the aftermarket flight or journey insights into business systems with data cloud & APIs asset management & business growth decisions Optimize network planning & flights & improve the passenger experience Augment decision-making with aviation AI Assistants & solve complex problems monitor & benchmark flight emissions with EmeraldSky Consult with Cirium’s data services for bespoke aviation data & analytics Collaborate with the Cirium Ascend Consultancy team for valuations & bespoke services Purchase industry reports & market commentaries from the award-winning Measure airline & airport performance reliability with the OTP gold standard View the airline & airport winners of on-time operational excellence Explore which airlines & airports top the on-time performance ranking View the board of advisors who ensure the integrity of Cirium’s OTP program Explore the latest news and articles for airline & airport on-time performance Access complimentary expert analysis & market commentaries Read articles with insights & analyses about the journey to net zero in aviation Access complimentary global market reports aviation updates & product demonstrations Meet the Cirium team at industry events around the world Hear from some of Cirium’s customers across airlines Sign up to receive emails with Cirium reports The world’s most trusted source of aviation analytics Cirium’s leadership have a mission to accelerate the digital transformation in aviation RELX is a FTSE 100 information-based analytics & decision tools company Find resources & contact details for data insights to support news stories Shape your future with a career at the most trusted aviation analytics company Discover opportunities working with cloud-based solutions The strategic partnership will optimize airport resources and develop master planning modules for IIAC’s overseas airport ventures Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) enters a strategic partnership with Cirium IIAC will be able to leverage Cirium’s aviation data to conduct research on airport data technology and commercialization The signing ceremony was attended by high-level officials Director of Corporate Affairs and Asia Strategy for RELX Cirium is renowned for its comprehensive aviation datasets and insights The company brings 115 years of experience serving a wide range of aviation stakeholders The new partnership unlocks access to valuable data that will accelerate IIAC’s digital transformation With its global coverage of more than 35 million flights Cirium’s data will empower IIAC’s second-generation in-house venture program to develop two key solutions: Simulator and MasterPlanner The partnership will also advance IIAC’s international collaboration efforts and expand its reach to new overseas markets.  “We hope this partnership will mark the beginning of our data-driven airport operations and development vision,” said Lee Hak-jae “By combining Cirium’s high-quality aviation data with Incheon Airport’s technical expertise we aim to realize our goal of operating 10 overseas airports.” Lee Hak-jae “We expect Incheon Airport and its in-house venture team to develop outstanding solutions using Cirium’s comprehensive and reliable data We look forward to continuing our cooperation as business partners for overseas expansion.” Cirium Sky is purpose-built to enable airlines, airports, financial institutions, aircraft manufacturers, and travel distributors to unlock the value in aviation data. Learn more about the data supporting IIAC’s digital transformation here. The Middle East aviation sector faced significant operational disruptions in 2024, with severe weather events and geopolitical tensions leading to… March saw a continuation of smoother operations across Southeast Asia, as on-time performance demonstrated further positive momentum. March saw a 13% surge in global flight cancellations (46,486, compared to 41,041 in February), yet airlines and airports managed… This first-of-its-kind strategic partnership for Cirium will accelerate the use of aviation analytics to significantly improve airport operations The United States remains the top international destination for Canadian travelers, while Canada ranks just behind Mexico for U.S. outbound… London, 18 March 2025: Brisbane Airport (BNE), which serves as the major gateway to Queensland, has partnered with aviation analytics… ANALYSIS: Reflections from Aviation Festival Asia Singapore once again recently hosted the Aviation Festival Asia event, bringing together the leaders… London, March 4, 2025: Cirium, the most trusted source of aviation analytics, has unveiled a new innovative tool, Asset Watch,… Anirban Lahiri fired a feisty 4 under par 68 to hold down a place on the top 10 after day one of LIV Golf Korea presented by Coupang Play in Incheon even as his Crushers GC captain Bryson DeChambeau and fellow-American Talor Gooch lead the way at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Kora on Friday.  Teeing off from hole eight, Lahiri was into his stride quickly with two bridies in his first three holes. Though he would drop a shot on the back nine, a further birdies gave the Indian star a share of sixth place alongside Dean Burmester, Jinichiro Kazuma and series leader Joaquin Neimann three shots behind the leader.  Stinger GC’s Burmester was one of two players to record aces on the day, Marc Leishman of the all-Australian Ripper GC being the other. It was the second time in LIV Golf history that two aces were recorded in the same round.  While South African Burmester’s hole-in-one came at the 205-yard 13th, Leishman followed later with his ace at the 172-yard 5th. It brought the total to 12 aces in league history, and four in the 2025 season. Last year in Hong Kong, Niemann and Kalle Samooja recorded two aces in the final round.  For Burmester, it’s his second hole-in-one in competition and fifth overall since the first at the age of 24. His ace on Friday also resulted in a fan receiving a new BMW car and as a bonus he also holed out for eagle at the par-5 18th.  “A hole-in-one and an eagle in one day, that doesn’t happen very often,” Burmester said.  DeChambeau and Gooch headed Stinger GC captain Louis Oosthuizen and Richard Bland of the Cleeks by a shot. At Mexico City too last week, DeChambeau shared the lead after 18 holes and the fifth time in his last seven starts, including the Masters where he’s been in the top 5 after the opening round.  “It was a tough, gruelling round of golf,” said the bogey-free DeChambeau, who tied for fifth place in Mexico. “I was proud of the way I stuck in there. I played some great golf today.” Also adjusting 8,000 feet in Mexico to sea level in Korea has been challenging.  “A unique test for me,” added DeChambeau. “I curve the ball a lot, so at elevation, it was nice for the ball to fly a lot straighter. Here, it’s curving a lot. So controlling my curvature, plotting around the golf course nicely.”  Now in his second season with Smash GC led by Brooks Koepka, Gooch posted six birdies in an eight-hole stretch and his iron play recalled the form he displayed in 2023 when he won three tournaments and the 2023 individual championship while playing with RangeGoats GC.  “It was a tough start to the year,” said Gooch later. “The game was pretty rusty. It's been nice these past couple of events to show some life and get some good golf going again. Hopefully, this round kind of kick-starts a good rest of the season and we can kind of channel some of that 2023 season again.”  Smash and Crushers also were at the top in the team event stand. While the former shot a cumulative 10 under, the Crushers trailed by just one shot with RangeGoats GC, who have Korean player Minkyu Kim in their lineup this week, in sole third on 8 under par.  “If we go shoot 10-under par for the next two days, that would be a great game plan,” Gooch said. “Great day for the team, and hopefully we can keep it going the next two days.”  In this post I wanted to talk about Incheon Airport, South Korea’s largest airport. If you look at lists of the world’s best airports, Incheon pretty much always ranks, typically in the top three (for example, Skytrax ranks it as number three not that I put much weight on those results) I’m curious — does everyone else love this airport or am I the only one who thinks it’s kind of overrated Let me first share my thoughts on Incheon Airport and then I also want to acknowledge how highly subjective airport opinions can be I don’t want to suggest that Incheon Airport is bad I just don’t think it’s anywhere close to being the best in the world but it’s not an airport I’d voluntarily spend more time in than I have to and they do offer very different experiences and I don’t think there’s any “wow” factor to it Meanwhile Terminal 2 is the newer terminal and it has gorgeous design and architecture architecture alone typically doesn’t give an airport great scores several airports in China have amazing architecture yet don’t make the list of world’s best airports What don’t I love about Incheon Airport let me emphasize that I’m not trying to trash the airport I just don’t think it’s the best and it’s the highest rated airport that I’m not interested in spending more time in than I have to let me state some things I believe the airport does well: I’d love to hear what I’m missing I’ve shared what I consider to be the world’s best airports I don’t claim that anyone else should agree with me but those are the airports I most enjoy traveling through I guess what I’m realizing is that the airports on my list are also places that I really enjoy spending time regardless of whether or not I have lounge access At Singapore Changi Airport (SIN), The Jewel is simply on a completely different level the airport has everything from a movie theater I’ve also never waited at immigration Doha Hamad International Airport (DOH) has improved so nicely in recent years, and is probably now my favorite airport. The design is amazing (like The Orchard) and the variety of sit-down restaurants and cafes is basically unrivaled People could easily transit any of the above airports and have a vastly different experience or impression and if you’re passing through with a short connection during one of the busiest periods and you end up arriving at and departing from a remote stand you’d understandably probably not be very impressed if you’re just briefly transiting Singapore Changi Airport Terminal 1 you’d probably wonder what all the fuss is about I’ve traveled through both terminals at Incheon Airport in recent months I don’t really want to spend more time at either airport than I have to Terminal 2 has much nicer architecture than Terminal 1 I find the airport lacking when it comes to amenities that really give it the edge What’s your take on Incheon Airport — do you think it deserves to be ranked among the top three in the world Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Good food Good morning Good for those who are going on to korea because they have layover to korea city tours I have four hours to kill at Incheon....any suggestions I am Korean and currently living in China as an expatriate I fully agree that the architectural design of an airport should not be the sole criterion for evaluating its quality Incheon International Airport (ICN) excels in cleanliness and the speed of immigration and security processes is much faster than at many other airports in Asia there is a lack of restaurants offering good value for money and lounges are totally not enough the resting zones are mostly located on the second floor and there are not enough signs to guide people to these areas airport staff could benefit from being more welcoming as they are often the first Koreans that foreigners encounter upon arrival I can tell you that while Koreans may not have as big smiles as Thai people due to cultural differences ICN has introduced separate areas for smoking and vaping This is a creative idea that I have not seen at other airports in Asia so far i've traveled in and out of ICN 50+ times and never had to wait more than 5 minutes for immigration passport control but the security line for departures has been growing this airport is amazing and a solid 2nd in the world after Changi 10 year resident here and you missed a ton They have a movie theater of course and also a maglev train for free to nearby casinos and hotels Yes u need to leave security but there are way more options and since they are pu lic prices stay reasonable I mean you talking about a long layover so what's another 10 min at security For immigration I will admit recently they are struggling to hire.. For immigration I will admit recently they are struggling to hire enough people That said u can cut time in half by getting the express checkin app that even non residents can use no but they also are a city state with one airport to take care of Korea has at least 4 major airports and another half dozen regional ones I would also bet ICN has more non stops than Singapore The movie theater (CGV in T1) is long closed and replaced by some random digital art exhibition thing and the maglev is closed since Covid and will not reopen as such ;) This is the worst airpory business class lounge I have ever been The Korean obsession with rankings contributes to some aspects of various things in Korea becoming overrated The Korean government actively promotes ICN as being the best in the world Korean people are told endlessly that ICN is the best in the world they naturally see old and rundown looking airports built in the 50s or 60s and think ‘wow Incheon is amazing’ It is worth noting that the Korean government got caught paying a fake NGO millions of dollars to have Jeju island designed as ‘the Eighth Wonder of the world’ as an illustration of how obsessed they are with rankings ICN is basically a large indoor shopping mall with the same four shops copy pasted everywhere It should be commended for its cleanliness and modernity however I was recently at SFO and there was actual food trash littering the carpet of more than one terminal and three hours passed with not a single cleaning person appearing So Incheon does seem like paradise when compared to such experiences I used ICN maybe 20 times and the ridiculous immigration lines (I was also almost close to 1 hour recently) which they clearly refuse to address and the poor quality of lounges stand out for me Also getting through security is always slow - and no option for business class passengers to fast track Always found that hard to believe in an asian airport; contrast to Bangkok where less than 5 minutes.. Also getting through security is always slow - and no option for business class passengers to fast track Always found that hard to believe in an asian airport; contrast to Bangkok where less than 5 minutes sees you go from drop off to lounge in business class Going back to the immigration line up; the 1 hour I mentioned is spent in a snaking line with literally hundreds if not thousands of passengers from many airlines It is in a very stuffy area with very little air flow Anyone who has been there will know what I mean make a big deal of declaring any cold/flu symptoms So this huge mass of people packed in together lining up for 1 hour is so paradoxical - it is a breeding ground for exchange of viruses How can a country be so serious and advanced in medical approaches yet the major airport operate in stark contrast to this Them executives won't do anything to really improve things until there shamed into it I flew in and out of Inchon in the 1990's for business but one could appreciate their culture and customs Almost all driving were men and only Korean cars Almost all driving were men and only Korean cars Plus they moved the car rental terminal farther away you still must walk another 500 hundred meters to get to the rental area You were flying in and out of Gimpo in the nineties That’s still there and no where near Incheon I would say that favourite airport does not equate to best airport And favourite will serve a different purpose depending on how you travel on a particular trip I love London Heathrow because it serves my purpose for the majority of my flying needs but I can’t call it the best in the world I have only connected there so I can't comment on the front of the house It seems like they have been remodeling something in the terminal for the past few years The limited food options late night/ early morning connection flight should be way better But for me as long as I can clear security and get to my.. But for me as long as I can clear security and get to my gate in a reasonable time I am good The toilets are always clean and the water bottle refill stations are nice As mentioned the WiFi is good and they have charging in the terminal at the gate seats Avid travelers know better than to pay any attention to "Top 10" lists These lists are usually curated by idiots who don't even travel but rather get all of their information from social media or a few Google searches the author may have been to a couple destinations which by default rise to the top of their list I flew Korean Air to Kunming China and had a 24+hour layover KAL put me up in a nice Hyatt Hotel near the airport Incheon Airport offered and I took a free tour into Seoul We visited a temple and had lunch in downtown Seoul Also on the return I stayed in the transfer hotel in the terminal to get some rest before the red eye flights back to Honolulu I'd love to see a post ranking the top major US airports (and maybe also the bottom) with the T1 renovations complete and all gates being connected behind security (coupled with pretty good lounge options and spacious gate areas) A recent flight on AS from SFO T1 (gorgeous) to ORD's T2 (opened in 1962 and it shows) displayed both ends of the US airport spectrum pretty well for me Too bad my hometown airport - It's you SEA lmao if this was in Japan there would be hundreds of those retarded Tiktokesque reels with "jaPaN iS liViNg iN 2050" captions for a freaking water fountain or the most basic crap they can find but will Lucky be attempting SAS's million miles promotion deal I've never been through ICN so I have only photos to go by while the main terminal ticketing/departure area is archetecturally striking the airside concourse looks a bit narrow and claustrophobic I think HKG is simply the best airport in Asia Great natural light and a sense of airiness and their Sky Bridge is easily my favorite amenity any airport has Book layovers longer than I need there all the time At the bottom of the Asian airport hierarchy are Chinese airports which though designed by architectural superstars are somewhat lacking as far as services and amenities go At the top is superlative Singapore Changi with its overflowing excellent services and amenities which occupies that weird middle ground: adequate services and amenities I never could comprehend how it ranked as one.. I never could comprehend how it ranked as one of the world's best airports I currently live in Seoul and never understand why ICN is highly ranked Lack of decent restaurants to eat or non luxury places to shop (compared to Changi) really put it low on thevlait for me Immigration lines are always long and terminals could be better designed for easy access to gates It is easy to transit through so that may help the rankings I'm planning a Asian trip to several countries next spring and was going to have a 24 stopover in Seoul I have never experienced more than 15-20 mins at ICN (and that is rare) USA is the most awful place in the world for immigration and they shouldn't be compared Last time at MIA 2.5 hours and last time at ORD 2 hours ICN can be slow by Asian standards but certainly not by US standard I've had equally bad or worse cues at hnd and nrt over the last 2 yrs (worse for midmorning arrival time) Up to 95 mins to exit passport control + customs I was maybe 10-15 minutes in the immigration queue Nothing compared to experiences I've had at NYC airports so absolutely wouldn't be deterred by that When I first passed through ICN in 2008 it was a doddle but recently more time consuming What makes a good airport to me is ease of departure and ease of transit For ease of departure NCL is the best I have come across in the world (although biased as it is my local airport) Very rarely queue for more than 5 mins for.. Very rarely queue for more than 5 mins for security but average is around 30-60 seconds when I fly (without fast-track) Fully set up with new CT scanning machines so no liquid limit (although this was recently blocked in the U.K.) and no need to remove liquids or electronics or anything Generally takes around 3 mins from arrival at door to being sat down in departures I am a big fan of MUC which has a seamless transit experience and makes a 30 min connection very easy How to make an airport overrated but convinced as among best in the world Seriously have any you ever seen the condition of the theater Who would go 4 hours early to watch a movie or see a butterfly Would you visit the Jewel for the 2nd time after you have all those.. How to make an airport overrated but convinced as among best in the world Well if you county doesn't have many jobs to plunder or areas to hide plus a very draconian punishment from an authoritarian regime and crazy cost of living There's not many potential immigrants to worry about I last transited through SIN years ago (before the Jewel) I was looking forward to it from all the reports and then wondering "is this all there is?" After seeing the movie theater and butterfly lounge The movie theater was basically a sort-of dark room with a projector and a dozen chairs No one was in there and after a few minutes I left too Once you walk through once (which takes a about 15 minutes) there's really no reason to do it again And SIN isn't a *bad* airport but I feel about it the way Ben feels about ICN: decent at doing what it has to do (get you in You could review the A350 longhaul (JFK-DEL) and then the ex-DL B777 on AI’s longest flight (BLR-SFO) on that trip It’s interesting to hear your take on Incheon Airport I’ve had a similar experience with Terminal 1 feeling it was functional but not remarkable but I agree that the amenities could be better The long immigration lines and limited food options really stood out to me too In my opinion worst airport in the world with horrible lines for security and immigration on both departures and arrivals The thing I find most underwhelming about ICN is the lounges of Korean and Asiana Given that ICN is the home of both carriers you’d assume the location of their ‘flagship’ lounges yet they are about as basic as you can get That being said I don't think KE OZ lounges are in any way as bad as people feel It's just way too crowded and lacks privacy or space I typically fly through there 2-4 times a year I have waited in excess of an hour twice and was at risk of missing a flight in one case I complained to a Korean Airlines employee that finally helped expedite the process Transferring between terminals is actually much faster because there is not much wait Terminal 2 is also seriously lacking many food options if you do not have lounge access But you don't feel as bad on transit because KE bank is much bigger than OZ The worst part is it's not even good retail at ICN Do that many people really buy high end luxury goods at the airport Give me a regular store any day to buy a quick change of clothes for me or my kids and I'd spend way more money than at a Dior or Gucci I found a wallet with money and ID card lying on the floor at the checkin line of Korean economy I don’t know how many hundreds of people passed by it (I think there was close to 100 passengers before me) but when I picked it up and handed over to the checkin staff they looked at me in horror not because someone may be in trouble but because they did not seem to know what to do with it I enquired what happened to the wallet and if they were able to hand it to the passenger before their departed on their flight - surely it is easy to type the name from the ID in their system and see on which same they flight the person checked in and deliver to gate or even onboard To my disbelief they said they don’t do it they simply hand it to the airport’s lost and founds and it is the passenger’s responsibility to claim it an unremarkable airport with the lack of basis courtesy/service in an area where it absolutely counts My biggest issue with ICN airport is the distance between terminal 1 and 2 on the outside One time my mom was dropped off at T1 and it took a 20 minute taxi ride to get to the other terminal If you think ICN terminals are unremarkable my ICN experiences have been clouded by KE's inability or unwillingness to operate on time Terminal 2 is being expanded expanded with two additional concourses essentially extensions of the current ones The first time at ICN I transited & wondered why is this considered one of the world's best airports The second time at ICN it was my destination Departing I passed many lovely restaurants and shops and realized this is the reason ICN has high marks these are inaccessible to transit passengers or passengers who want to be airside before dining/shopping I was in a hotel close to terminal 1 and had a early flight from terminal 2 I almost missed my flight (also because of the long immigration lines) You are calling a display of othee cultures "gimmick"s Let's get this American entitlement at display with made in China MAGA hats and bibles at airports The entire article is based on the premise that Skytrax is something you live and die by You didn't even talk about how fast you can clear out of Korea ICN is absolutely nowhere close to Seoul — in fact it’s one of the furthest Asian airports from the city centre Kuala Lumpur is the only other major Asian metropolis whose primary airport is so far (55+ km south) and which doesn’t have the luxury of a closer-by city airport for longhaul travel and there's a strong case that AUH could work better for most people's needs with the new terminal The endless remote gates at DOH are a real PITA for many passengers that I don't think they can make up for especially in the desert weather you get in the Middle East in summer... Because the airport is literally named Incheon Nor did you say anything about OAK EWR BWI attaching to a different metro area Heck even Bangalore might get an airport that's not even in the same state too VT-CIE is just a common Indian Japanophile Him b**ching about any slight discomfort in/of Korea shouldn't come as a surprise I’ll have you know that I have great respect for how the Koreans have managed to maintain two global airlines and a globally enviable air transportation hub for the past two decades and more after a turbulent period in the 1990s with too many crashes and other woes What ICN has become is a symbol of pride for the Korean nation; it doesn’t have to match Changi or Haneda or HKG My only complaint was its distance from the city of Seoul though of course it’s next door to Incheon It’s a universal fact that KE and OZ fall short compared to Taiwanese That doesn’t mean that KE and OZ are as bad as Mainland Chinese airlines think of Taiwanese and Japanese airlines as equivalent to EY and QR and Korean ones as equivalent to Oman Air or Gulf Air certainly not to less-reputed ones like Egyptair or MEA TL;DR: Small quibbles do not derail South Korea’s otherwise excellent airlines and airport; it’s just that Japan Taiwan and Singapore are objectively among the very best out there Gimpo doesn't have much to offer in amenities It's a shame that Incheon is the only option for intercontinental flights I just transited there earlier this year arriving on KL from Sydney and the first slap on the face was that they parked at remote location and transfered us by bus No separate business class bus either and as we approached the terminal a bunch of empty gates could be seen As we entered the terminal it was immediately apparent the AC was not functioning and sure enough the entire terminal was steamy and uncomfortable,.. As we entered the terminal it was immediately apparent the AC was not functioning and sure enough the entire terminal was steamy and uncomfortable The last slap in the face was indeed the KL lounge gross with kids running around and food on the floor Totally and cempletely overrated airport and just bring into focus that only the Middle East airport know how best to do an airport experience It would be more premium if Delta merged with KE and took over the whole operation Having transited at Incheon as an economy class passenger a few times (pre Covid) I actually find incheon really good for a few reasons: 1 There are publicly available free showers that anyone can use and they provided everything that’s needed- towels and toiletries For longer transit times they have a very affordable transit hotel in the airside with proper rooms with ensuite bathrooms at a.. These are the things that were hard to find in most other airports That transit hotel always seems to be lacking in capacity though.. They have Washlets in the airport bathrooms -- even the normal ones outside of the lounges I don't disagree with anything you've said except the immigration queues - I've never had a line/wait that long in my over a decade using/transiting the airport multiple times each year And I REALLY don't disagree with your assessment of the KE lounges...oy...even the First Class lounge is sad and I think that's really what it is built for: it's not trying to.. and I think that's really what it is built for: it's not trying to be an entertainment/cultural/hospitality center like SIN nor does it have the "final stop" traffic/tourist numbers like BKK or HND...so I don't see ICN as an airport necessarily meant to showcase its location/home country (or national airline...) the way other of the more flashy Asia airports do I’m in ICN several times a year and immigration is often long lines and T2 security/immigration on departure often is pretty long/slow also Agree with the whole immigration line issue and a real bummer when you just flew 12+ hours to get there and then you have the immigration line waiting depending on time of arrival; we had a long wait in some windy/rainy weather while trying to get a taxi (even with the taxi helpers doing what they do) please try Seoul Station City Airport Terminal You can check-in and clear passport control at the city terminal in Seoul Station and clear the security screening lane dedicated to the city airport terminal passengers It's the only way to clear security screening at ICN in 5 minutes Not many non-Koreans know about this trick The security screening lane of ICN got a lot worse than before The previous government of South Korea was leftist and they turned all the security staffs to full-time the operating cost of the airport skyrocketed and now they're terribly understaffed With full-time employees only(but the budget's the same!) the airport can't support the staffing they used to have with contractors and part-timers The security staffs are under pressure because of understaffing Imagine giving any deference to ScamTrax ratings it's certainly far better than a lot of other Asian airports The real issue with ICN is how far it is from the city center It can take up to two hours to get to your hotel after a 11+ hour flight And the fact that domestic connections are not a thing... And the fact that domestic connections are not a thing You need to transfer airports and go to GMP This probably really kills off a ton of Korea tourism and travel with the lack of domestic connections Perhaps its time that Korea should start considering a dual hub strategy like NRT/HND JAL/ANA at least have a few frequencies to important domestic hubs like CTS There are domestic connections but treated as international So flying eg LAX ICN PUS is for international transfer connections only You clear immigration collect bags and customs at Busan There's like 2 domestic connections out of ICN NRT at least covers almost everywhere in Japan Clearly not the world's third best airport more like to an airport to Asian standards though is its staff - very hostile and unwilling to help passengers Even Korean McDonald's employees were friendlier than ICN staff given that you've mentioned DOH as one of the best airports in the world But the airport has some problems - the traffic and the number of passengers are quite far from the airport's capacity frequent flyer status-accessible lounges are pretty bad and the gates are just weird - they lock up the passengers.. and the gates are just weird - they lock up the passengers in a closed gate area without toilets and water fountain for no reason (unlike the other airports with similar system DOH doesn't do any security checks at the gate) I think people like DOH because it means you're 99% a QR passenger and they have great lounges at DOH I don't know that DOH is that great of an airport itself I've traveled to ICN many times - both new and terminal And the Korean Airline lounges and food are mediocre Just to let you know they have a renovation planned for Terminal 1 I personally find Japanese airports to be underrated I'd add long security check queues and some parts of the terminal are dim and unpleasent The way you act like is pretty much the opposite of Tim Dunn As a Korean myself I find it more funny than offensive Have you looked into what might be causing these phantom smells for you It's Democrats who ruined the entire United States just see it for yourself at the status of NYC or any liberal cities in the US and if they're a sh*thole or not I guess that's why there are no tourists in nyc aye smh...you Republicans just can't say the quiet part aloud: that you hate present-day USA bc it's no longer dominated by whites And I'm white so don't tell me I don't know what I'm talking about Guess it's true that phantosmia can be a symptom of head injuries Too much walking for things that should be closer together Incheon is an average Asian airport; there are quite a few better ones Changi is the world's most overrated airport and no it's not faster than centralized security: look at HKG centralized security means they can invest way more in the machines and you don't need to take a single thing out of your bag Give me La Guardia Terminal B over Changi any day (but with the same airlines and service inflight flying out of it!) Changi is also a PITA to get to/from via MRT during rush hour if you're heading to or from downtown in peak direction Kind of amazing that Singapore hasn't built an express train to City Hall or Raffles Place ICN has the rudest employees I've encountered in an airport setting The nice thing about ICN is that the employees are rude to Koreans too Agree that gate security is a monumental PITA and it's over without adding more stress to the already stressful boarding process That + the lack of seats before the security check given the security-at-the-gate only opens pretty close to departure sometimes Doesn't affect us as much flying premium cabins but you see people forced to sit on the ground in front of their gate with every seat outside the gate full in a so-called world class airport because security hasn't opened yet and almost all the seats are past the security at the gate Sadly both the Korean Airlines and Asiana lounges at ICN are pretty mediocre It’s easy to group a lot of the Asian airlines together but it’s clear the Korean ones aren’t in the same league as the Japanese and Taiwanese airlines ICN is the only first world airport that I’ve been where the immigration and security lines cause you to actually have to arrive at an airport 3 hours early there were so many people late for their flight and the airport staff had to help them jump to the front of the line You can check-in and clear passport control at the terminal in Seoul Station I’m shocked you haven’t gotten yourself an APEC business Travel.Card Saves huge amount of time at immigration in APEC countries I personally agree whole heartedly with you on how shitty ICN is for such a new airport terminal The KAL are appalling with even better Priority Pass lounges but one of the highlights of flying out of ICN is checking out the beautiful flight attendants making their way to their planes Was surprised at slow/inefficient immigration/security (passport/boarding pass line even stopped periodically to allow security screeners to catch up) Food options at OneWorld lounge were also so-so I wouldn't even rank it in my top 5 US airports It's not particularly efficient to get through- the layout really only works if you're originating/departing The lounges are fine but you'll find better ones in.. Worst of all though you go through security at the gate which means you're stuck in a tiny cramped holding pen Up until the recent additions of the Jewel How is Changi constantly voted one of the best But one thing I will say about Changi is that there is dedicated continuous improvement customs/arrivals nowadays are the smoothest you will ever get at a major international gateway The previous incarnation of the SQ lounges were a sorry.. The previous incarnation of the SQ lounges were a sorry excuse of lounges for such a decorated global airline As for the brown carpets all around the terminals?… it’s cute how there’s a Korean culture zone where you can even try on clothing and see performances I think it's not your position to judge whether it is a gimmick or not It is culturally insensitive to even suggest it may be a gimmick it's bible thumping gun clingers denying climate change and rolling back womens rights... it's bible thumping gun clingers denying climate change and rolling back womens rights That's not a gimmick but will spell the end of American democracy if we are not careful Having a culture zone in an airport is a gimmick for people just connecting You don’t have to be pompous and suggest this is the Koreans ancient sacred ground you'll see that Ben does NOT say that Korean culture is a gimmick but an airport pop up stand promoting some of the more cliche cultural highlights might be then you would have noticed that culture is in the way things happen in everyday life the values they have as a group and the way they spend.. the values they have as a group and the way they spend their time Some dance act is more or less (historically inspired) art and may or may not be of interest to any individual It's nice to get around and see some of the roots of the current day culture for added perspective but claiming that only that kind of outings are to be considered culture is a bit.. I’ve consistently experienced long immigration lines at Incheon; this time around Immigration in the US without global entry is often in excess of an hour CBP publishes the data themselves on their Airport Wait Times website Non-US citizens may even face waits of 2-3 hours or more We are the richest country in the world and this is how we welcome our.. We are the richest country in the world and this is how we welcome our visitors Incheon might not be the world's most cutting edge airport but it is 1000% improper for any American to call any major Asian city airport overrated "We are the richest country in the world and this is how we welcome our visitors Take a piece about Korea and use it to talk about and condemn a country that isn't Korea tell us how you feel about the Marrakesh airport and do let us know whose airports Moroccans are allowed to criticize no one should ever criticize anyone else for anything at least it's better than having blocked seats on LH intra-Europe business Everyone recognizes CBP needs to get better and Incheon can get better too Your feedback is important in helping us keep our community safe The comments on this page have not been provided approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered You have successfully joined our subscriber list Editorial Disclosure: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any entity mentioned herein. 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SIGN UP Business Incheon Airport logs record 18.6m passengers in Q1 announced Wednesday that the airport recorded an all-time high of 18.6 million passengers in the first quarter of this year driven by strong growth in short-haul routes to Japan Short-haul flights accounted for 84.3 percent of total operations — significantly outpacing long-haul routes to destinations like the United States and Europe This trend reflects a growing preference for shorter trips amid global economic uncertainties such as high exchange rates and rising fuel costs and by 7.8 percent compared to the first quarter of 2024 Flights also increased by 6.3 percent and 5.7 percent Passenger traffic on Chinese routes surged 24.1 percent year-on-year to 2.66 million aided by the temporary visa waiver introduced in November Routes to Japan and Northeast Asia also experienced notable growth increasing by 10.4 percent and 16.1 percent the corporation projects international passenger volume for the year to reach 76.64 million the IIAC reported 643.2 billion won ($466 million) in first-quarter revenue — slightly below the 658.5 billion won recorded in the first quarter of 2019 Operating profit reached 199.1 billion won representing a 56.8 percent recovery compared to the same period in 2019 Looking ahead to the holiday period from April 30 to May 6 the airport plans to expand early security screening operate temporary parking lots flexibly and encourage the use of smart pass and self bag-drop services “Incheon Airport has entered a phase of stable operations and we anticipate another record-breaking year in passenger numbers,” Incheon International Airport Corp “We will do everything we can to ensure a smooth and convenient experience for travelers during the upcoming holiday period." Czech court blocks Czech-Korean nuclear deal A Czech court said Tuesday it blocked a multi-billion-dollar deal between Prague and South Korea's Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power on the construction of two nuclear units following a complaint by France' Amazon Prime sign deal to increase K-content access Korea mark 60 years of ties with sculpture CU launches visa support services for foreign nationals SK Telecom scrambles to restore trust after massive data breach Costco’s steep membership hike tests loyalty of Korean shoppers Rise of Korea’s dollar store Daiso explained in 2 minutes Respect wanes: Teaching no longer highly coveted job in S Lee Jae-myung leads in hypothetical three-way race with Han Duck-soo Netflix's 'The Devil’s Plan' returns with star-packed season 2 Air Incheon plans to celebrate its takeover of Asiana’s cargo business by launching flights to the US The South Korean cargo airline applied to the US DoT last week to operate scheduled and on-demand cargo services between Korea and the US Its proposed 747F routes are Incheon-Anchorage-Chicago O’Hare-Dallas Fort Worth-Seattle; Incheon–Anchorage-Chicago O’ Hare-Atlanta; Incheon-Los Angeles-San Francisco; Incheon–Anchorage–JFK–Brussels; and a flight between Incheon and Los Angeles And it has closed: Asiana’s cargo business will be part of Air Incheon on 10 .. South Korea’s T’way Air is targeting more air freight business as the first low-cost carrier .. The European Commission’s decision to approve the merger of Korean Air and Asiana has taken .. and it now seems its lengthy pursuit of .. Asiana Airlines pilots’ opposition and the carrier’s debt level appear to be presenting challenges to .. Trade unions at Asiana Airlines yesterday lodged objections to the merger with Korean Air Lines .. Air Incheon is set to become South Korea’s second-largest cargo airline As Korean Air and Korea Development Bank gear up to select a preferred buyer for .. email: [email protected] email: [email protected] email: [email protected] email: [email protected] email: [email protected] along with the Incheon International Airport Transit tour offering a one-of-a-kind layover experience for customers with connecting flights visiting the airport.  Delta customers experiencing Korean wanderlust on a layover at Incheon Airport can now enjoy its sights whether they have little time to spare or an entire free day.  Incheon International’s free transit tour program is a great way for travelers to explore the diverse attractions of Seoul and Incheon area while they wait for their next flight.  The Transit Tour program enables customers on layover to experience the best of Korea and make unforgettable memories Whether interested in viewing historical sites there are plenty of options to choose from Wolmi Park: Take a ferry to Wolmido to enjoy the beauty of the Korean coastline while feeding the seagulls Located in the heart of Incheon's Old Town Wolmi Park offers a peaceful retreat with stunning coastal views and lush greenery 2. Seoul Botanic Park: With a square footage of 70 football fields combined the Seoul Botanic Park showcases native plants and horticulture from 12 cities worldwide Gwangjang Market: Once utilized as the office and residence of former presidents the Blue House is now fully open to the public and operates as an art gallery and history museum travelers can enjoy a wide variety of food and handcrafts Insadong: Experience Korea’s ancient culture at Gyeongbokgung Palace -- the first royal palace of the Joseon Dynasty -- and Insadong Hongdae offers a lively and youthful atmosphere Sinpo Traditional Market: Formed in the late 19th century Sinpo Traditional Market exclusively operated as a food market for local residents Visitors can now enjoy the famous "Sinpo Dakgangjeong," crispy fried chicken coated in a spicy sauce For more information on the tour itinerary, please visit the ICN Transit tour course information website *The tour programs are subject to change without prior notice and tour seats are allocated on a first-come both through the online reservation system and upon arrival The Incheon Airport Transit tour is a complimentary sightseeing program for travelers with a layover of 4 to 24 hours at ICN enabling them to explore popular Korean tourist sites on a round-trip tour bus with a professional guide Travelers with layovers exceeding 24 hours cannot join the tour.  Travelers can participate in the Transit tour without a visa if they meet any of the following requirements: Interested travelers wishing to join the Transit tour can make a reservation in advance through the ICN Transit tour reservation website Travelers can also register at the Transit tour registration desk on the first floor the information desks on the second and third floors of Terminal 1 or in Terminal 2 at the Transit tour registration desk on the first floor and information desks on the second and fourth floors.  All Transit tour travelers — including those booked online — must arrive at the registration desk on the first floor of the respective terminal at least 30 minutes before the tour with all the necessary documents Learn more about ICN Transit tour program. Discover five must-visit spots to fully experience the city’s charm and personality.  Songdo Central Park | 160 Convensia-daero Songdo Central Park is the first-ever channeled seawater greenspace in Korea reflecting the country’s unique geographical features and innovation Notable features include an artificial waterway complete with activities like water taxiing Songdo also offers various attractions including the Tri-Bowl – a cultural arts space – the geometrically distinct G-Tower and the ever-relaxing Hanok Village.  the twinkling lights of the skyscrapers and the park's luminescence come together to create a stunning view Songwol-dong Fairytale Village | Jayugongwonseo-ro 45beon-gil with the effort to revitalize a town that was beginning to lose its vibrancy the Songwol-dong Fairy Tale Village was painted and decorated with colorful murals and sculptures based on fairy tales Sudoguksan Museum of Housing and Living | 51 The Sudoguksan Museum of Housing and Living brings to life the experiences of people in Incheon’s "Daldongne" — the impoverished hillside areas on Sukuksan Mountain during the 1960s and 1970s evacuees that fled their homes when Korea was ruled by the Empire of Japan and the Korean War settled in the area The museum features a special exhibition hall and an experience center allowing visitors to step back in time and explore a recreated Daldongne neighborhood Eurwang-ri Beach | 16-15 Yongyuseo-ro 302beon-gil Eulwang-ri Beach is known for its beautiful sunsets offering a stunning view with dense forests and unique rock formations The spacious lawn provides a perfect spot for a relaxing break with various sports and fishing activities are available It's the perfect place to enjoy both leisure and activities at the same time Sorae Port is the perfect way to experience the sea without traveling too far the Port gives travelers the opportunity to enjoy fresh seasonal seafood It’s a perfect spot for a day trip with friends or family The area is also known for a variety of cultural performances and attractions such as the Sorae Port Festival held every autumn fascinating views from the Shrimp Tower Observatory along with joint venture partner Korean Air operates from Seattle to Seoul five times a week totaling 14 flights per week Non-stop operation from Salt Lake City to Seoul also begins in June of this year Arriving and wayfinding in a large international airport in a foreign country might be a daunting experience Delta customers may find the experience smoother thanks to some futuristic helpers: robots These robot helpers guide and transport customers Robot helpers also speak multiple languages including Korean Japanese and Chinese to accommodate as many customers as possible The Airstar Robot is a guidance automation assistant with cutting-edge technology -- including autonomous driving voice recognition and artificial intelligence If you tell the Airstar robot your flight number it will direct you to the correct counter and even escort you if you prefer If you need help understanding what items are not allowed on carry-on luggage wish to know the locations of certain duty-free shops or need directions to the correct boarding gate The Airstar Robot even has a camera to take commemorative photos for customers which can be sent via email or SMS messages.  The baggage-carrying Air Porter Robot is located in the duty-free area that scans boarding passes The robot can follow customers or take the lead if they need directions.  The Air Ride Robot is a self-driving vehicle that transports customers who are elderly or have disabilities to their correct boarding gates with a simple touch of a screen The robot is also located in the duty-free zone.  The Air Dilly Robot is a food delivery service inside the duty-free area Customers waiting at a boarding gate can scan the QR codes displayed on nearby seats or guidebooks to order food and drinks to their location – no need to wander in search of a restaurant.  More innovation is on the way: Incheon International Airport Corporation is working with Doosan Robotics to research new technologies to enhance the customer experience Delta and Korean Air’s JV Partnership Impact Delta and Korean Air connect more than 2,000 customers a day each way through Incheon to destinations across Asia That's more than our competitors connect to the region through Tokyo Narita and Haneda hubs combined Two Delta Network Planning team members provide an inside look at some of the decisions that shape where and when customers can fly.  "We continue to grow traffic through this premier connecting hub and offer a seamless consistent and industry-leading customer experience," said Jeff Moomaw Delta — together with partner Korean Air— offers access to Seoul from 14 U.S providing the most extensive reach across Asia through the ICN hub compared to any other trans-Pacific joint venture This route also further solidifies Delta’s position as the largest long-haul foreign carrier at Incheon enhancing its already unmatched reach across Asia.   Explore Korea's Incheon International Airport and its abundant facility offerings Korea’s Incheon International Airport is one of the world’s leading transportation hubs And as one of the world’s largest airlines airline that can be found in Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 offers an abundance of activities and facilities to enhance your pre-flight experience For travelers who wish to spend their last day in Korea without heavy luggage in tow, Hanjin and T-Luggage’s service stores and delivers your luggage between a subway station in Seoul and Incheon International Airport in both directions. Details about pricing and reservations can be found on the T-luggage website or at the T-luggage desk on the third floor of the Public Area of Terminal 2 a post office can be utilized at your convenience Hanjin Express can be located inside Terminal 2 and international postal services courtesy of Korea Post can be found in Terminal 1 shoe repair and polish can be found at the Transportation Center at Terminal 2 Individuals who need Internet access and do not have a laptop can find Internet Zones complete with PCs and Wi-Fi connectivity Internet Zones are open 24 hours a day and can be found around the Duty-Free Area at Terminal 2 multiple kids play zones are available at the Duty-Free Area in Terminal 2 there are several facilities that will help you relax before your flight Stretching Rooms and even Shower Rooms.  Relax Zones provide comfortable chairs with phone chargers whereas Nap Zones provide beds for passengers to take a short nap in as they await their flight People looking for some space to do some simple exercises and stretches can help themselves to one of the Stretching Rooms Shower Rooms are also available for a refreshing spritz after your exercise If you have a long layover and are due for even more rest and relaxation, help yourself to massages and self-care at one of the Prana Spas in Terminal 2 or book a room at Capsule Hotel DarakHyu and Walkerhill Transit Hotel.  And to better ensure health and safety during the travel experience Terminal 2 consists of multiple pharmacies and a university hospital Inha University Hospital operates from 8:30 a.m KST during weekends and holidays) and can be found in the basement floor West of the Public Area of Terminal 2 and multiple pharmacies can be found in both the Public Area and Duty-Free Area Incheon International Airport Set to Ascend as One of the World’s premier Megahubs with Phase 4 Expansion Incheon International Airport embarked on a transformative journey with its ambitious Phase 4 construction project this seven-year endeavor represents a substantial investment of 4.8 trillion won (approximately $3.5 billion) to double the size of Terminal 2 This major airport infrastructure project includes the expansion of the second passenger terminal and the construction of a fourth runway After successfully completing the Operational Readiness and Airport Transfer (ORAT) phase which involved three extensive test operations the project is set to begin full operations on 3rd December The expansion will increase Incheon International Airport’s annual passenger capacity by 38% Cargo capacity will grow from 5 million to 6.3 million tons and the number of annual flights is projected to rise from 500,000 to 600,000 With these advancements, Incheon Airport is poised to secure its place among the world’s top three airports in international passenger throughput The heart of the Phase 4 project lies in integrating next-generation technologies to transform the airport into a state-of-the-art digitally intelligent hub. Travelers can look forward to smart check-in and security services that will dramatically reduce processing times allowing for a seamless journey through the terminal The introduction of an apron digital control system and digital twin technology will significantly boost operational efficiency by minimizing aircraft delays. In addition advanced optical character recognition (OCR) and automatic tag reading technologies have been integrated into the baggage handling system (BHS) significantly improving the accuracy and performance of baggage tag reading The Phase 4 project also blends cultural and artistic experiences with advanced technology providing travelers with a distinctive K-culture experience Two stunning outdoor gardens — the Classic and Contemporary Korean Gardens — located airside offer passengers a refreshing K-culture experience as they wait for flights. In the Korean garden on the east side the traditional pavilion ‘Seungjaejeong’ originally from Chaggyeonggulg Palace in Seoul evoking the serene atmosphere of Korea’s traditional landscapes Art installations will play a key role in shaping Incheon Airport’s new identity A key highlight is a kinetic sculpture installed on the ceiling of the departure hall designed and created by the Incheon International Airport Corporation it shows images of an eagle flying in the sky a groundbreaking media installation in the Arrivals Hall will be the first of its kind to showcase real-time flight information through artistic visuals enhancing the overall passenger experience Incheon Airport is set to embrace the future with the introduction of autonomous transport vehicles designed to assist passengers with reduced mobility and those needing to reach departure gates quickly These vehicles will make long-distance travel within the airport easier and more convenient for all travelers and is now entering its “second era” with an ambitious plan to handle 100 million passengers annually The completion of the Phase 4 project will solidify Incheon’s position as a global megahub enhancing flight operations and expanding passenger facilities Incheon Airport strives to deliver world-class services by seamlessly integrating cutting-edge technology This transformation aims to redefine Incheon as more than just an airport—it becomes a destination in its own right Whether you're stopping over or embarking on a journey Incheon Airport promises to captivate and inspire every traveler For more information, visit us at: https://www.airport.kr/sites/ap_en/index.do insight and analysis from our award-winning editors delivered to your inbox daily Subscribe now to get full access to our exclusive News Get started with a ch-aviation subscription unrestricted access to all of ch-aviation's news and data for 14 days Upgrade to our Data and News Subscriptions Aviation Intelligence for your everyday use We offer a comprehensive aviation industry database utilised by various entities such as operators Incheon International Airport Corporation has unveiled Phase 4 of its Art Project completing the transformation of Terminal 2 into the airport’s ‘Art Port.’ The Art Project spans approximately 1,930m in length and covers an area of 8,000m2 It includes 18 Art Pavilions – nine in each of the east and west wings – and offers passengers a cultural and artistic experience through curated exhibitions traditional performances and installations by domestic and international artists The east and west wings are conceptually differentiated by their distinct interpretations of Korean content The east wing features traditional Korean elements including the Korean traditional garden Seungjaejeong the ‘New Royal Walk Parade’ inspired by the Joseon Dynasty’s military procession and an art pavilion titled Good Luck & Colorful Wishes by artist Chae Byungrok which modernizes traditional Korean motifs the west wing presents a reinterpretation of Korea from a global perspective It showcases a curated exhibition reflecting contemporary art trends and features an art pavilion ‘Korea Jazz’ by the international artist JonOne who translates the inspiration drawn from his travels across Korea into vibrant colors Phase 3 focused on color as the central concept for spatial expression while Phase 4 has introduced a differentiated approach by interpreting Korean content and the creative process establishing a wayfinding system that enables users to easily navigate to their destination The east wing is distinguished by content and storytelling while the west wing is categorized by color visitors can experience traditional Korean content centered around Seungjaejeong a pavilion located in the secret garden of Changdeokgung Palace Highlights include the New Royal Walk Parade Korean traditional music performances and art installations The departure corridor features an Art Pavilion created by the Korean graphic artist Chae Byungrok who blends traditional elements with modern aesthetics Byungrok analyzed and reinterpreted auspicious symbols from traditional Korean folk painting (Minhwa) to craft a 500m “Path of Fortune” that conveys messages of encouragement and good wishes to travelers the installation spans nine pavilions and showcases modernized Korean motifs through innovative graphic language an art installation by urban artist JonOne Inspired by his travels across Korea – including Seoul Gyeongju and Jeju – JonOne captures the vibrancy of these experiences in bold colors His signature abstract expressionist approach based on the concept of ‘Playing with Colors’ akin to the improvisational nature of jazz The artwork juxtaposes abstraction on its front side with representational elements on the back which is intended to create a striking visual contrast the curated exhibition Silver Lining: Behind the Clouds will be held from December 11 The exhibition features the works of four artists including domestic and international artists Park Keunho (Chamsae) In related news, Düsseldorf Airport recently opened an art trail for passengers. Click here to read the full story. I was looking forward to checking out the Korean Air First Lounge The Korean Air First Lounge Incheon is located in Terminal 2 So if you’re originating at the airport you’ll want to turn right and follow the signage in the direction of gates 208-248 you’ll see the elevators and escalators leading up to the lounge on the right side The entrance to the lounge is located at the top of the escalator While there’s one shared reception desk and the First Class Lounge is located to the right the attendant asked me to write down my name and phone number on a Post-it note as Korean Air offers first class passengers customized luggage tags and she said “too long.” I guess if your name is more than a few characters long So she instead made the luggage tag with my initials The Korean Air First Lounge Incheon is currently open daily from 4AM until 10PM covering virtually all eligible departures from the airport The Korean Air First Lounge Incheon is available exclusively to Korean Air first class passengers So you can either use it if you’re departing in Korean Air first class or if you’re connecting from a Korean Air first class flight to another Korean Air flight There’s no way to access this lounge based on elite status you’ll first find yourself walking down a long hallway This really sets the tone for what to expect in terms of design Does this hallway look like what you’d expect at a carrier’s most premium lounge or more like an entryway into a reasonably nice hospital or office where you can store belongings during your stay in addition to an area with reading materials you’ll find yourself in the main room of the lounge This has to be one of the quirkiest lounge setups out there as each seating area has its own “cocoon,” so that all passengers have a pretty high level of privacy Below are some pictures from each side of the lounge with each “zone” seating anywhere from one to four people Then there’s a glass partition separating the above part of the lounge from the dining area with the latter space having a total of seven tables The lounge has a somewhat private room that’s off to the side of the dining area labeled “Comfort Suite,” “Luxe Suite,” and “Premium Suite.” When I asked the staff what these rooms were and I guess they’re private rooms for VIPs the lounge only faces the interior of the terminal so it really isn’t much of an inspiring view there seemed to be construction going on in the terminal during my visit which caused an unbelievable amount of noise Below is a video that I took during my time in the lounge That level of noise went on for roughly an hour Admittedly that’s not the lounge staff’s fault but there was no sort of acknowledgement or apology for this or offer or suggestion to maybe instead go to another lounge but I think at a more attention-detailed airline this would’ve been handled differently The Korean Air First Lounge Incheon has a small buffet with a limited number of snacks and drinks and then there’s an a la carte dining selection the buffet selection included sweets and fruit Then below is a look at the drink selection including alcoholic and non-alcoholic options The lounge’s catering is provided by the nearby Grand Hyatt Incheon and ordered the tuna and spring greens on whole seat sourdough so I have no complaints about the food quality The Korean Air First Lounge Incheon has luxurious bathrooms and showers with a bidet-style toilet and Aesop amenities The only thing is that a single bathroom isn’t really sufficient during peak times since there will be periods where there are dozens of people in the lounge but I have to imagine that during busier periods there are times where there’s quite a wait to shower while you’d think that would be a basic amenity in a first class lounge one of the employees followed me to my seat and then stood there while holding the menus for me I didn’t even have the chance to sit down or take off my coat so it’s not exactly a relaxed arrival experience It’s not just that the staff weren’t attentive but they seemed to actively avoid eye contact to the point that I had to specifically walk up to them every time I wanted something (and they were often in the kitchen an OMAAT reader left the following comment on about my Korean Air service observations I confirm Korean service is meant to be reactive That’s why we have call buttons at restaurants in Korea A proactive service is often considered “disturbing” in Korea they often feel disturbed by servers consistently checking in Korean Air is doing a typical Korean service in this way So of course I respect different cultural norms but I’m sure y’all can appreciate my slight confusion here It seems like what we’d generally consider to be the best service in the United States (or almost everywhere else in the world for that matter) is considered to be the worst service in Korea I guess the crews at US airlines that do the bare minimum really don’t provide bad service they just provide service geared at Korean passengers The Korean Air First Lounge Incheon is a perfectly fine place to spend some time and it’s nicer than the Korean Air Business Lounge and this is underwhelming in comparison to virtually any other “proper” first class lounge the lounge has a pretty good a la carte dining selection The lack of attentive service is what stood out to me most here but it sounds like that’s largely just cultural it’s not a bad place to kill some time but I wouldn’t arrive early to use this lounge What’s your take on the Korean Air First Lounge Incheon Did any of the lounge pods have call buttons That would explain the lack of service if they did I had the same experience the first time dining in Korea and wondering how to get the waiter to come over and give us the check Everything is based around the call button They probably thought marble equals luxurious and left it at that The fix is easy and low cost: add some artwork on the walls and some plants That is all that is needed to make the hallway look less drab and sterile Did their interior designer not really consider this I don't want to equate an airline to its nation but given that Korea has such a beautiful sense of aesthetics and cares about curating appearances and details (think k-dramas) Korean Air's decor and aesthetic choices are a little confounding And I'd like to say there's a huge different between Korean service and US FAs doing the bare minimum Korean Air staffs/FAs will come to you in a few seconds when you press a call button and they'll be happy to do whatever you want ASAP "as long as you tell them exactly what you want." I don't think the US FAs doing the bare minimum.. Most Koreans basically hate interacting with strangers "DO NOT DISTURB" is the default in Korean service When you call them and tell exactly what you want They don't do it proactively because "I don't read your mind 100%" is the norm for them I know it's a huge difference from the rest of the world they'll be happy to do what you want even if you press the button every few minutes This is how to make the most out of Korean service They don't "dare to guess" what you want unless you tell them exactly Most employees do just what their boss tell them to do Being proactive is risky because it can be sometimes against your boss or client's will "Don't think out of what you're told to do" is how most Koreans are educated since their childhood this line made me chuckle: "I guess the crews at US airlines that do the bare minimum really don’t provide bad service they just provide service geared at Korean passengers." good perspective Phase 2 of terminal 2 is ongoing so you may hear construction noise I was on a KE redemption first class fare from SIN to SEA with my wife the first segment was in F and the second segment in J with me on the waitlist for F The same # of points was required for each of us When we arrived in ICN the staff were adamant that I could.. The same # of points was required for each of us When we arrived in ICN the staff were adamant that I could NOT enter the F lounge because my connection was in J (this is different from what Ben posted about access) It didn't matter that I had just come off of an F flight It didn't matter that I showed that I paid the same # of miles and it didn't matter that I was on the waitlist and there were open seats in F (which I eventually did clear) I had my wife enter the lounge and then I just pressured the staff I had the opportunity to wait an hour for the one shower in the men's bathroom Piper champagne was a bottle too far so they only served Prosecco KE F is like the old BA F...a great business class Worth noting that only KE marketed first flights have access Buying a DL F ticket doesn’t grant any ground services access - frustrating given fares are usually the same I always buy DL ticket stock as my plans constantly change and dealing with KE is a nightmare It’s frustrating the ground experience isn’t offered for DL F fares even with the supposed ‘preferred partnership’ This is a well known issue for DL flyers who earn more miles but I think DL can sell a KE marketed ticket Since I'm never going to pay that much for what KE First offers I can't confirm that will marketed by KE is enough or it needs to be on KE stock As long at the ticket is KE marketed you have access to the lounge Sucks to go through the hassle of getting your ticket changed to get it marketed since AF F has none of this issues Cant even access the lounge coming off a F flight from the US since it will considered a different day and your connecting flight may only have business for the next leg They have Kendall Jackson wine in their First Class lounge I think the underlying cause (and this is hard for any airline to fix) is that just because some executive decided to spend a bunch of money on something doesn't mean it was executed with good taste Or that the hour-by-hour operation of the place is conducted with the right level of style and behavior That is a hard thing to ingrain into a staff without someone clearly at the helm Or that the hour-by-hour operation of the place is conducted with the right level of style and behavior That is a hard thing to ingrain into a staff without someone clearly at the helm This is just another airport lounge that is on autopilot but without any follow through with someone enforcing what it is supposed to "feel like" on the ground Well put - I'd say this sums up KE in general I have my own thoughts on what happens here in Korea when corners are cut I will say that this is what we longtime Asiana elites have to look forward to Asiana already stopped upgrading/fixing their lounges and there's no reason to expect Korean Air As long as they have a "first class lounge" then it's first class by.. As long as they have a "first class lounge" then it's first class by definition no matter that their competitors are laughably better Instead of the old Victorian library F lounge way better than the dark and gloomy old one Looked way cozier and nice than this KE thingy I have had the occasion over the years to travel to Korea via Korean Air in both F & J from SFO I agree that the service style is unique and quite different from Japan were there call buttons around to summon staff (The Korean reader's comment you quoted got me thinking) The drink selection isn’t very First Class Maker’s Mark isn’t the most exciting bourbon to look forward to Props to Ben for recognizing that a difference in service patterns in a part of the world that is unfamiliar to you may be merely a difference and not an inferiority This level of self awareness puts Ben in the top quintile of EQ worldwide As to the substantive matter of whether the difference actually is cultural sadly I have no idea because I'm not Korean,.. sadly I have no idea because I'm not Korean and have no special insight into the matter That's what you want in a lawyer - someone who knows what they know and knows what they don't know except Ben is in the top 0.1% of the world in terms of travel exposure Korea is not Taiwan or Japan or Singapore or Hong Kong Did DOT statistics tell you Ben is "in the top 0.1% of the world in terms of travel exposure" But you can't argue with the weirdo who proclaim Delta as the best in the world (and SEA) Just like how Timmy use words to fool people 0.1% of the world is like 8 million people That probably includes some Gold medallion who.. Have you been the guy by the name of "BigLaw V10 Partner" the whole time they're a cringe-poster that was talking about high school math competitions as some sort of indicator of success lmao You’re not a lawyer and you don’t work at Skadden You’re a sock-puppet screen-name lawyer wannabe It seems like case of style over substance in some regards especially considering the bathroom/shower situation. I feel LH pulls it off better with the seating groups divided by the white 1/2 walls and the grey tapers hanging from the ceilings Typical skyteam airline to have its F lounge get 3 stars (assuming you're writing your reports from Sapporo) they apparently have unveiled their refreshed livery and brand with an official unveil on the 11th I figured I break the news to you and you'd probably want to break the news and give your thoughts yourself National 'Arrive 5 hours early': Travelers warn on social media amid Incheon Airport congestion and gridlocked parking lots at Incheon Airport have led social media users to warn fellow travelers: arrive five hours early or risk missing your flight amid the Seollal holiday chaos which spans six days this year thanks to the addition of a government-designated temporary holiday on Jan has stretched the airport’s capacity to its limits Social media users have posted warnings and firsthand accounts on social platforms like X urging others to prepare for delays and extreme congestion “Crowds at Incheon Airport are exactly as rumored,” one online user wrote “You should arrive at least four to five hours in advance to have enough time.” Another person shared a photo of a packed departure area at 5:30 a.m “This is what the crowd at Incheon International Airport looks like at 5:30 in the morning.” but the road to the departure hall was like a parking lot I guess I should have arrived five hours earlier.” Yet another posted an image of heavy traffic outside the airport at 6 a.m. “I’ve only seen on the news that there are so many people at Incheon Airport but I didn’t expect it to be this bad from early in the morning.” The surge in travelers is reflected in data from the Incheon International Airport Corporation the airport expects to handle over 2.14 million passengers -- 1.05 million departing and 1.09 million arriving This represents a 12.8 percent increase from the same period last year and a 6 percent rise compared to 2019 Daily passenger traffic is averaging 214,110 25 seeing the highest volume at 227,725 passengers Incheon Airport officials are encouraging travelers to plan ahead “Check-in counters open three hours before departure but with the increased number of passengers wait times at check-in and security checkpoints can be significantly longer,” said an official from the Incheon International Airport Corporation Korea’s Czech nuclear plant deal halted by court injunction As unused homes increase in rural South Korea Supreme Court’s verdict sours Lee Jae-myung’s presidential bid Korean mothers are opting for C-sections at record rates South Koreans get creative with Parents’ Day gifts Welcome to Websitename.com. 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Read our policy By 2025-01-08T09:37:00+00:00 Air Incheon has applied for a permit to carry out scheduled and charter flights to the US as it continues to expand its operations worldwide The South Korean cargo airline applied “for a foreign air carrier permit and an exemption authorizing the carrier to engage in scheduled and on-demand charter foreign air transportation of property according to a US Department of Transportation document dated January 3 Air Incheon plans to commence operations on July 1 using Boeing 747-400 and Boeing 767 freighters the airline’s proposed routes include: Incheon-Anchorage-Chicago O’Hare-Dallas Fort Worth-Seattle; Incheon–Anchorage-Chicago O’ Hare-Atlanta; Incheon-Los Angeles-San Francisco; Incheon–Anchorage–JFK–Brussels The airline is also planning an Incheon-Los Angeles route using either 747-400Fs or Boeing 767Fs Air Incheon has identified 10 747-400 freighter airframes which it plans to incorporate following completion of the Asiana business acquisition Air Incheon said in a LinkedIn post that it had “secured new traffic rights to key European routes (Belgium and Transport’s recent allocation meeting” the Commission approved the proposed acquisition of Asiana by Korean Korean had to commit to divesting Asiana’s cargo business in order to address concerns that the acquisition would result in reduced competition between Europe and South Korea Then in August, Korean signed a “basic business sale agreement” with Air Incheon for Asiana’s cargo business The agreement follows June’s announcement that Air Incheon had been named as the preferred bidder for the sale of Asiana’s cargo business Qatar Airways Cargo will be the launch customer for Mammoth Freighters’ Boeing 777-200 conversion programme after signing up for five of the model Hong Kong-based Cathay Cargo is reconfiguring its Australian freighter operations as part of efforts to “streamline operations” ANA Holding’s takeover of freighter operator Nippon Cargo Airlines from the NYK Group has been pushed back until 23 May as the company awaits regulatory approval Site powered by Webvision Cloud so I didn’t have all that much time to enjoy the hotel This was my first stay at the Grand Hyatt Incheon in around a decade there’s a lot to like about this hotel including a modern design (at least in the West Tower) and a really unusual (in a good way) club lounge concept The one downside to this hotel is that it’s not connected directly to the airport but generally I greatly value the convenience of staying directly at an airport I’m a fan of this hotel and would gladly return I paid cash for my stay at the Grand Hyatt Incheon as the rate was 224,000 KRW (~156 USD) including all taxes and fees When it comes to redeeming World of Hyatt points the Grand Hyatt Incheon is a Category 3 World of Hyatt property meaning that a free night costs either 9,000 depending on whether you’re staying during off-peak I was staying over standard dates, so the stay would’ve cost 12,000 points per night. Since I value World of Hyatt points at 1.5 cents each The Grand Hyatt Incheon is located just south of Incheon International Airport (ICN) It’s less than a five-minute drive from Terminal 1 while it’s around a 15-minute drive from Terminal 2 I was arriving at and departing from Terminal 2 which is the less convenient terminal to be using when staying at this hotel The hotel offers a complimentary shuttle service to and from both terminals every 30 minutes so running out of space shouldn’t be an issue The Grand Hyatt Incheon has two towers — the East Tower and West Tower They’re immediately next to one another While the two sides share a wellness area and there’s a bridge connecting them they’re otherwise pretty independent That’s to say that each tower has its own reception area for guests staying in that section The West Tower is considered more premium than the East Tower so the lower rates are typically in the East Tower So when you look at your room assignment prior to check-in see if you’re staying in the East Tower or West Tower The Grand Hyatt Incheon West Tower has a super modern lobby and feeling a bit like the ground floor of an office building and also a staircase leading down to the events spaces Reception is located just inside the lobby and straight ahead, with the concierge desk being to the left, and the front desk being to the right. My check-in process was efficient and friendly. I was informed that I had been upgraded to a Grand Deluxe Executive Suite West Tower as a Globalist member as this is considered a premium suite (Globalist members ordinarily get upgrades up to standard suites) and I was assigned a room on the 11th floor you’ll potentially get quite a few steps in the hallways That’s especially true if you’re assigned one of the corner suites I was in room W1131 (with the “W” indicating that the room is in the West Tower) The Grand Deluxe Executive Suite I was assigned was marketed as being 1,022 square feet (95 square meters) and a variety of drinks and snacks for purchase in the minibar there was also a welcome gift of a bottle of red wine There was then a long and narrow hallway with all kinds of closet space and featured a reasonably comfortable king size bed and a shower “compound,” which even had a bathtub Toiletries were in reusable containers from Balmain Paris — that’s a better brand than you’d expect at an airport hotel The room didn’t exactly have the most inspiring views — it faced the East Tower in one direction and the parking lot in the other direction Go figure for such a short stay I didn’t really have time to fully enjoy it Club Olympus is the Grand Hyatt Incheon’s wellness area It’s located on the second floor of the West Tower though can be accessed by guests from both towers but does have an impressive array of equipment for both cardio and strength training I always enjoy my 2AM workouts when traveling and it’s my understanding that this is really popular with families on weekends but as far as indoor airport hotel pool facilities go this is one of the nicer ones that I’ve seen Club Olympus also has a sauna area that’s open daily from 6AM until 10PM This is where the Grand Hyatt Incheon gets really innovative and has something I’ve never really seen before The Grand Hyatt Incheon has a Grand Club (club lounge) on the 12th floor the hotel doesn’t actually use that space for most of the club offerings Think of this as a massive restaurant that’s exclusively for those with club lounge access It’s my understanding that the demand for club lounge access at the hotel greatly exceeds what the lounge upstairs could accommodate and that’s why they’ve switched things around rather than just shutting down the lounge to reduce costs here’s what the club lounge hour situation was like: When you’re in the lobby of the West Tower facing reception just turn right and walk to the end of the hallway and you’ll find the Grand Cafe there The Grand Cafe consist of dozens of dining tables and I arrived at the Grand Cafe literally two minutes before it was taken down I was impressed by the variety of food — it was almost more like a dinner buffet It had everything from cold cuts and cheese there was also a breakfast buffet in the Grand Cafe this has to be one of the most impressive club lounge spreads I’ve seen at a “mainstream” hotel brand in a long time During my short stay at the Grand Hyatt Incheon the Grand Cafe met all my needs for eating and drinking so I didn’t have the chance to visit the other dining outlets The Grand Hyatt Incheon is a great airport hotel the West Tower is modern and has comfortable rooms and the club lounge setup is one of the most impressive that I’ve seen in quite some time The only downside to this hotel is that it’s not connected directly to the terminal but rather there’s a complimentary shuttle service while it’s a bit further from Terminal 2 The hotel is also a good value for what’s offered What’s your take on the Grand Hyatt Incheon Korea was using the East tower as one of their quarantine hotels during the pandemic I was confined to one of those rooms for 2 weeks but I wasn't even aware there was a better West tower You can join the line of billions of hypocrite who won't stay at ... plus a box of chocolates." That's not really accurate Welcome amenities as a top-tier benefit disappeared years ago it's definitely not guaranteed and therefore not something I would consider part of Globalist status I have typically received some sort of welcome gift as a Globalist - YMMV So Ben you were in Korea for the martial law or the impeachment vote This is Ben not Matthew who consistently put himself and his family in the front lines as costs of making content He even tortured his sick son to earn a million miles I typically stay at this hotel every month or two and have done for the last few years consistent and the restaurant buffet is great for all 3 meals of the day as required and a west tower airport view room typically gets great views of aircraft movements on Runway 34R and associated taxi ways If arriving into T1 then this hotel is actually an easy walk simply walk through the terminal train station building and follow that road for probably 5-10 minutes until you turn right over the pedestrian crossing and straight into the east tower driveway I think everyone would agree with "the convenience of staying directly at a hotel" :) Not much to go on with your photo in this article It’s an indoor pool and there’s a lot of light reflecting A good pool shot would look into the water and be able to see the bottom so we could judge the pools clarity I’m sure a Hyatt pool is fine in terms of safety Showering/rinsing off before and after is good etiquette I don't mind a 20-30 min walk weather permitting (like walking to Hyatt Regency LAX) I contacted this hotel before staying there and they said it wasn't safe to walk on the road to the hotel Of course I just missed the bus and had to wait 30 minutes After looking out the window from the hotel back to the terminal I think one could walk from the terminal to the.. I contacted this hotel before staying there and they said it wasn't safe to walk on the road to the hotel Of course I just missed the bus and had to wait 30 minutes After looking out the window from the hotel back to the terminal I think one could walk from the terminal to the hotel safely through the parking lot I thought the breakfast buffet was fantastic GH is better but wouldn't say fantastic (GH KL IS fantastic) Did you have the regular breakfast buffet at GH Seoul They let me choose that or lounge breakfast as I was on a Prive reservation but the regular restaurant breakfast buffet is fantastic One of the more impressive airport hotels I've seen "The hotel offers a complimentary shuttle service to and from both terminals every 30 minutes" but the airport's free inter-terminal shuttle bus (up to 6 an hour) also stops at this hotel - Terminal 2 So where would this hotel rank on your list of best/favorite airport hotels I thought there was the Incheon Airport Maglev between Terminal 1 and a station nearby to the hotel Unfortunately the maglev was permanently closed years ago now imagine not only staying in an airport hotel but choosing a big box American brand in Korea which culturally enriching hotel do you recommend at Incheon Airport I’m sure they put a lot of effort into being inspired by the local culture actually Paradise resort is just across the street from the Grand Hyatt… I’m pretty sure he visited for transit purposes for the new Korean Air business class review not because he was actually visiting Korea This is probably one of the most convenient options for transit given how far ICN is from the city center I'm sure there is a hanok guest house somewhere the obvious issue is that this blog is all about staying at high-end US chain hotels for the points angle while Korea is an absolutely terrible place to rely on high-end US chain hotels I would have taken the subway into Hongdae but the only US chain hotel I can think of.. but the only US chain hotel I can think of there is a hix -- a very nice hix but not somewhere OMAAT is likely to review That kind of defeats the purpose of this blog and specific review trip Ben is on Does anyone else hate the Balmain amenities at grand Hyatt and think it’s embarrassing for the brand that they exist They’re just such poor quality and of mediocre scent Everytime I use them I wonder who at Balmain greenlit the licensing - I’d take the renaissance Aveda ones 10 times out of 10 over them Imagine someone who knows nothing about the modern Korean culture and how it relates to these big box american hotels Those of us in game appreciate it very much Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines will launch 5x weekly nonstop flights between Seattle (SEA) and Seoul Incheon (ICN) The 5,216-mile flight will operate with the following schedule: The westbound flight is blocked at 11hr25min and will operate every day except Mondays and Tuesdays while the eastbound flight is blocked and 10hr10min eastbound and will operate every day except Tuesdays and Wednesdays Hawaiian Airlines will use an Airbus A330-200 for the route comprised of 18 business class seats and 260 economy class seats Alaska has an incredible West Coast hub with a huge amount of connectivity and a loyal customer base in the Pacific Northwest One thing to keep in mind is that even though Alaska is in oneworld the airline has a partnership with Korean Air which should provide feed beyond Seoul Incheon So just as Alaska will rely on Japan Airlines to fill planes in Tokyo Narita I imagine Korean Air could help in Seoul Incheon I’m a bit surprised that Alaska and Korean Air continue to partner given the extent to which Alaska and Delta are competing there’s no denying that the airline faces an uphill battle on this Seoul Incheon route This is a very strong market for Delta and its partners and Asiana (which is now owned by Korean Air until these Hawaiian A330s are reconfigured especially when you consider that Alaska will be competing against established airlines.In the long run I think Alaska’s strategy will work well The airline needs to build up its long haul presence in Seattle and reconfigure A330s I think Alaska could be the dominant long haul carrier at the airport.It’s too bad Hawaiian’s 787s aren’t flying to Seoul IncheonBottom lineAs of September 2025 Alaska Air Group will launch 5x weekly nonstop flights between Seattle and Seoul Incheon This will be the second of a dozen long haul routes that Alaska Air Group launches out of Seattle by 2030 On the general topic of Alaska's int'l route expansion what are your thoughts on this potential development https://skift.com/2025/03/28/alaska-airlines-is-eyeing-first-european-flights-in-2026-ceo-says/ You guys seems to have zero concern for the people that actually live in Hawaii You want to vacation here but as long as you get one extra choice of an airline for mainlanders If Hawaiian Airlines cuts its HNL to Seoul route that means we would have to fly all the way to SEA then back across to ICN The coverage on the take over of Hawaiian Arlines has not taken into consideration how this affects residents of the islands with the limited options we already have that will now get even more limited This will make it exceptionally more difficult to travel internationally for us The A330s should be deployed on premium domestic routes for which they are suitably configured and where they would have an edge Not on saturated transoceanic routes already flown by a ton of world-class carriers Alaska had been pretty good but even Bank of America is finally cracking down on our churning Alaska is going to need to update the interiors Delta flys the A330-900 on the same route with a much nicer cabin the preferred airport for local Tokyo traffic but I find it interesting that they're directly taking on routes that have multiple JV carriers and wonder what that'll do to their yields As it stands AS/HA are not part of the OW JV so they are yet another competitor beyond the three major JVs SEA-ICN doesn't seem like it can support four carriers on it ICN market is closer to size to the TPE market than it is the to TYO market Can the companion fare be used on these new transpacific flights Companion fare isn't eligible for domestic flights on HA metal so I imagine it won't be eligible on transpacific flights as well I've been looking to use my companion pass for flights between the west coast and HNL What sucks more is that the direct flights between SFO - HNL have been cut and all require a layover somewhere Just one thought though on something you said at the end I think Alaska could be the dominant long haul carrier at the airport." --> For one this assumes that the demand they have for travel to/from Seattle will translate when they start flying international It could but many of their current customers are probably used to flying other airlines when flying long haul out of Seattle... It could but many of their current customers are probably used to flying other airlines when flying long haul out of Seattle It's not a direct comparison but it's not like JetBlue has had an easy go flying from to Europe and that's with narrow bodies (although some might argue their ability to compete while flying narrow bodies is limited I suppose) I'm not sure how valuable being the dominant international carrier at just one airport is long term many travelers are still interested in airlines with broader connectivity The big 3 airlines are each the dominant international carrier something to the tune of at least 2-4 airports each It seems to me Alaska's ceiling as it pertains to long haul flying is carving out a not overly profitable halfway decent niche in Seattle I just don't see how they do better than that The competition on long haul flying out of Seattle (whether to Asia or Europe) will be stiff Whatever niche you are talking about - the other long haul player at SEA (DL) does not AS will at last make as much profit as the losses that DL is incurring on its SEA operations now tell us why AS doesn't file a case against DL if AS knows that DL is just dumping unprofitable capacity into SEA Either AS does the same thing elsewhere or 2 AS knows that DL really does make money at SEA - including on international flights and to the eastern US where DL gets substantially higher average fares than AS cling to the notion of DL's vulnerability if it helps you sleep.. cling to the notion of DL's vulnerability if it helps you sleep at night You should be asking why AS is finally getting around to adding longhaul international flights decades after other airlines operated international flights from SEA - and a decade after DL set up its hub there Somebody is angry and upset about the idea of AS expansion in SEA.. And doesn't know how to refute that AS is in an alliance and is twice the size of DL in SEA already Plenty of OneWorld carriers serve ICN outside of a JV Why is it so crazy for you to believe what Delta says They claim their profits are in their core hubs and they also.. They claim their profits are in their core hubs and they also mention when new hubs are profitable -- something Delta has NEVER said about Seattle Oh please Tim - almost everything you've stated on this blog with your "esteemed" aviation knowledge on Alaska's moves has been absolutely wrong or are is fast heading that way - the Alaska-Hawaiian merger was not going to go through regulatory without "MAJOR" concessions such as Alaska leaving OneWorld (FALSE) - Alaska would not develop a meaningful long-haul network from Seattle anytime in the next 5 years (will be.. Alaska has a path to becoming the OneWorld alternative to AA at LAX for the Pacific but Alaska and some of AA's JV partners clearly believe there is opportunity to add it to the JVs then everything you just stated in your last paragraph is irrelevant Obviously Alaska has looked to add long-haul at SEA after AA failed at SEA-LHR (a route that DL also loses $ on given their consistently poor LFs sub-80% outside of summer and that they shifted 3 frequencies from SEA this fall / winter to MCO) and didn't follow through in adding SEA-BLR and other planned routes but they also don't have any viable path to catching up to Alaska at SEA let alone overtaking it Since DL hubbed SEA in 2014 Alaska has grown its domestic market share from 52% to 54% today Alaska has a far lower cost basis than DL - we shall see what happens but looking at just SEA almost anyone would rather be Alaska than DL DL has the better overall operation and position "Alaska has a far lower cost basis than DL" But when carriers radically alter their market/mission profile their costs will never likely equal the much different DL to become a particular drag on Alaska's ambitions has dramatically increased its market share in SEA - BY TAKING SHARE FROM OTHER CARRIERs and DL still gets about 70% of the total local SEA market revenue that AS gets because DL carries much higher revenue per flight and passenger because international revenue and eastern US revenue - where DL is the largest - is worth so much more and you and others still can't answer the question as to why DL 1 not only is able to run all of these money-losing hubs that the internet thinks DL has - even one money-losing hub would be more than social media admits that AA and UA have - and still make more money at the end of the year than every other US airline - and 50% of the entire US airline industry's profits and 2 why AS doesn't file a predatory pricing lawsuit against DL given that DL is much larger the notion that DL loses money in ANY hub is a figment of internet social media's fascination with seeing DL fall What is in public data - which many people can't accept - is that AA loses money flying the Atlantic and Pacific for years; DL has long made more money per seat mile across the Atlantic Pacific and to Latin America and HA clearly has lost lots of money on its international network for years AS is simply trying to justify its purchase of HA - which is their SECOND merger to try to grow larger in the west - by shifting underperforming HA routes to SEA where it thinks it can win in two of the 3 areas where DL has had a clear lead from SEA for years - longhaul international and the eastern US AS flies as much capacity through SEA because it has no other hub through which to connect virtually ALL of its traffic while DL has a half dozen other hubs that can and do connect traffic that AS can only connect via SEA and Nobody will slight AS if they succeed but you and a whole lot of other people get way too excited at the prospect of DL's downfall when the chances are just as high that AS will walk away from its international expansion just as much or more than it did from Virgin America's position in LAX and SFO transcons Why are you blabbering on about unrelated questions and topics that neither myself nor anyone else has talked about on this topic Why do you have to deflect and change the topic every time you are confronted with your own inaccurate statements and in topics where you are likely going to be wrong Everyone in the industry has stated that AA likely loses money at LGA / JFK,.. Everyone in the industry has stated that AA likely loses money at LGA / JFK breaks-even to loses money at ORD most of the year except the summer when it is reasonably profitable as per what Vasu stated a few years ago and used to struggle at LAX due to its long-haul network although most of it has been cut so it is probably better now UA's CEO who has far more competitive data than you or me on DL and every US airline's performance can ever hope for has repeatedly proclaimed that UA is the only airline profitable at every hub for a few years now DL and AA have never come out refuting that fact DL is the best-run overall airline due to its revenue streams in loyalty w/ AMEX and the refinery but UA is by far the closest to actual operating profit if you simply look at flying this is a simplified analysis since loyalty program revenue comes from airlines having a broader network but your repeated screaming about "DOT data" that does not directly link or track with financial reporting statements nor is standardized by airlines is useless conjecture DL does not great at LAX (probably breaks-even to maybe slightly better than that) and SEA but overall is very profitable while UA has no extremely profitable fortress hub comparable to ATL or even DFW but has no major underperforming hubs relative to others with LAX likely its lowest performer (likely break-even if not unprofitable) airline industry execs have long stated that most airline routes do not make profits - there's a reason why airlines are considered terrible investments with low margins: ""Only between 25-30% of destinations make profit But you cannot only operate as an airline where you make profits." DL has more routes that make profits than AA helped by its great hubs at ATL and probably more than UA (albeit not by a ton - the profitability gap is more from loyalty and credit card $ than flying) but all 3 likely make 0 money on ~60%+ of their routes (and lose $ on ~30% of those) and none have discovered a gold mine flying that the others have not It's all about optimizing the business with the extras to squeeze out that last bit of extra profitability which Delta has done the best in addition to admittedly outperforming AA in its most competitive markets Don't confuse this with DL making a killing at LAX or NYC and yet DL manages to generate significantly higher profits than any other US carrier including UA and it is no surprise that Kirby touts UA"s hub profitability given that UA has the least lucrative credit card deal AA and DL clearly allocate their credit card revenues to every city and hub because it isn't hard to figure out where cardholders live and spend money yoloswag gets it (above and below) and it is no surprise.. AA and DL clearly allocate their credit card revenues to every city and hub because it isn't hard to figure out where cardholders live and spend money yoloswag gets it (above and below) and it is no surprise that you don't want to so you can argue when it is clear that United can't put it all together on the bottom line compared to DL They have yet to negotiate joint CBAs which will add costs; AS is no longer just a legacy carrier in the corner of the US and AS employees expect to be compensated like other legacy carriers - including what UA is supposed to be paying - plus WN I don't know why people focus so much on network strength Isn't it pretty well known that most flying is subsidized by credit card programs these days Delta's hub at SEA is just as much of a play for the wealthy tech metro when Delta launched both their junk Window show at SEA Which showcases some fairly significant loyalty programme penetration and the complete irony is that a large portion of AS' larger size in SEA is because of the higher number of frequencies they have in the same markets as DL 10 flights/day LAX-SEA might help AS win more of the local market but it does nothing to help AS feed any more passengers onto its international flights - because only one domestic flight best connects to each international flight most of the people that spout the advantages that AS has don't think through the real competitive situation and what advantages either AS or DL have thank you for being one of the few that actually thinks Hawaiian's 2x2x2 seating in business is fine for flights to Hawaii Should keep them on the long haul Hawaii leisure routes and put the 787s on the Seattle routes Big mistake with no premium economy seats on the new 787's tho Hawaiian's A330's provide a better passenger experience for nearly all passengers much prefer the A330 2x window seating in economy... Should keep them on the long haul Hawaii leisure routes and put the 787s on the Seattle routes Big mistake with no premium economy seats on the new 787's tho much prefer the A330 2x window seating in economy Have flown Hawaiians A330 in extra legroom economy to Tahiti and New Zealand many times and it is ok for these relatively short flights In December Air Premia also said that they would be flying from SEA-ICN Many Koreans are already avoiding them at all cost that will be the 2nd route they will have dropped from HNL since they are doing the same for NRT Legacy carriers find the value in a merger by removing money-losing route and it was a given that AS would have to drop some of HA's flying since HA's losses have been considerable over the last few years Legacy carriers find the value in a merger by removing money-losing route and it was a given that AS would have to drop some of HA's flying since HA's losses have been considerable over the last few years DL and KE have a joint venture not just from the US to Japan (DL flies HND-HND) but also to S If AS funds the new SEA-ICN route by pulling HNL-ICN just as is true with removing some HNL-Tokyo capacity OZ is owned by KE now but is not part of the DL/KE JV; presumably because there are alliance changes that have to take place and DL's pilot agreement requires that DL add capacity equal to what KE adds via the OZ merger DL and KE are in a joint venture while AS has codeshare arrangements with multiple carriers just as B6 does The fare that AS has to charge a carrier for an AS operated domestic flight as well as what KE charges AS for a beyond ICN are almost always higher than what carriers pay each other as part of a joint venture for the "short" segments of an intercontinental itinerary AS will get far less benefit from KE than DL will; and SEA-ICN is essentially a JV hub to hub route which allows them to pump even more traffic and more high value traffic on that segment committing to using the 787s on SEA-ICN is a step in the right direction in terms of getting the right product in international markets but HA's 787s do not have premium economy which clearly sells for most other international carriers and while Sept is a strong international outbound period for flights from Korea there are months of pretty slow traffic that follow you believe that Alaska/Hawaiian is totally incapable of effectively competing with the world's only PERFECT airline you and only you think there are perfect airlines - or perfect anything elses AS and DL have both succeeded because they have managed to "stay in their own lanes" People assume that because AS is larger in the domestic market by virtue of both more frequencies to the same destinations that DL serves mostly in the western US and also because AS serves more destinations from SEA than DL that AS.. you and only you think there are perfect airlines - or perfect anything elses." you couldn't think of one imperfect thing about them Maybe ask one of your many alter-egos what they think But be sure to consider timezones when you do your fake international profiles you have nothing to contribute to the discussion other than to trash people who can intelligently talk about topics which obviously you know nothing about... life must be hard when you see everyone you disagree with as being the same person and rational people don't just spout off a list of things that are wrong w/ someone or something.. If you consider your comments "intelligent" you and your alter-egos are alone in that view You keep attacking the same user for your plainly obvious view of Delta as a "perfect" airline You ridicule him for that comment but also can't name a single imperfect thing about Delta Naming imperfections of Delta would be therapeutic for you Just remember to put his "Lass" voice through chatgpt There are still a good number of people that fly between Hawaii and Korea HNL is my home airport and I'd be really sad to see this route dropped Hanatour) in Korea that Korean retirees use when they finally leave this peninsula for the first time in their lives put them on Korean Air If you told someone 10 years ago Hawaiian Airlines would be flying direct from Seattle to Seoul they’d never believe you Alaska did fly to Vladivostok from 1991-98 They should have started flying to Korea and Japan a long time ago They probably didn't want to hurt their partners Aniai’s Alpha Grill automated burger-cooking robot has been deployed at South Korea’s Incheon International Airport CJ Freshway installed the robot at the 4th floor (ground level) of Gourmet Bridge in Terminal 2 The installation signifies an advancement in the realm of cooking automation within busy food service environments such as airports where maintaining rapid service and consistent quality during peak times is crucial Airports present some of the most demanding challenges for food service operators who must deliver swift and reliable service to accommodate the ebb and flow of passenger traffic The Alpha Grill is engineered to address these hurdles by fully automating the patty-cooking process grilling and transferring the cooked patties Each stage can be completed in less than one minute Able to cook upwards of 200 patties per hour the Alpha Grill ensures that restaurants can keep pace with customer demand without compromising on food quality Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis Aniai CEO Gunpil Hwang stated: “As one of the world’s busiest airports Incheon International requires food service solutions that can keep pace with travellers’ needs Alpha Grill allows food operators to scale their operations efficiently reducing dependency on manual labour while ensuring consistency in high-volume kitchens.” Automation is poised to resolve issues faced by US airports particularly as they grapple with workforce shortages and escalating operational expenses The Alpha Grill promotes expedited service shorter wait times and uniform quality while maintaining stringent hygiene and safety standards The Alpha Grill complies with NSF/ANSI standards and its food-contact components have been certified for safety Its modular construction facilitates straightforward cleaning and adherence to rigorous sanitation regulations while UL certification ensures its safe operation in busy commercial kitchens Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network By 2025-02-25T17:06:00+00:00 Asiana Airlines has received final shareholder approval to sell its cargo business to Air Incheon The shareholder approval for the sale of Asiana’s cargo business to Air Incheon was announced on 25 February, reported The Korea Herald. This approval will enable the $342m transaction to go ahead. The sale is part of European Union conditions for Korean Air to acquire Asiana Airlines, a $1.3bn deal that was executed in December. Air Cargo News has contacted Asiana Airlines and Air Incheon for comment Asiana aims to finalise the transfer of assets and personnel to Air Incheon by 10 June The transaction includes: 10 Boeing 747 freighters one Boeing 767 freighter and approximately 800 employees Korean first announced its plan to acquire Asiana in November 2020 but the acquisition proceedings were delayed by the Covid pandemic while the EU was concerned the acquisition would result in reduced competition between Europe and South Korea To secure regulatory approval from Brussels for the move Korean offered to sell Asiana’s cargo business in October 2023 the European Commission approved the proposed acquisition of Asiana by Korean Korean had to commit to divesting Asiana’s cargo business In August 2024, Korean signed a “basic business sale agreement” with Air Incheon for Asiana’s cargo business and in November 2024 is the only South Korean airline entirely dedicated to freighter cargo transport The sale of Asiana’s cargo business includes freighter aircraft Asiana Airlines has secured final shareholder approval to sell its cargo business to Air Incheon completing a key condition set by European competition regulators for its merger with Korean Air valued at approximately 470 billion won ($328 million) was initially agreed upon in January and marks a major step toward finalizing the merger As part of the European Commission’s approval requirements Korean Air had to divest Asiana’s cargo division and transfer key European passenger routes the formal process for Asiana’s cargo sale is now complete will see Air Incheon take ownership of 10 Boeing 747 freighters Asiana Airlines’ cargo operations have been a critical part of South Korea’s logistics network since launching its first freighter service between Seoul and Los Angeles in 1994 The division played a vital role in supporting global supply chains during the COVID-19 pandemic repurposing passenger aircraft for cargo transport the cargo unit posted a 7% revenue increase with an annual freight volume of 831,278 tons Asiana Airlines moves closer to completing its long-awaited integration with Korean Air reshaping South Korea’s aviation landscape Your registration will include editorial emails and offers from EVA International By creating an account, I agree to the terms of service, and privacy policy EVA International Media Ltd trading as CAAS Int Boswell Cottage We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze how you use this website and provide the content and advertisements that are relevant to you These cookies will only be stored in your browser with your prior consent You can choose to enable or disable some or all of these cookies but disabling some of them may affect your browsing experience Necessary cookies are required to enable the basic features of this site such as providing secure log-in or adjusting your consent preferences These cookies do not store any personally identifiable data Functional cookies help perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website These cookies help provide information on metrics such as the number of visitors Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with customized advertisements based on the pages you visited previously and to analyze the effectiveness of the ad campaigns Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Passengers wait at Incheon International Airport in Incheon on April 17 You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience REDEFINING THE END-TO-END PASSENGER EXPERIENCE AND BUSINESS PERFORMANCE Digital Transformation | FTE Event News | On the Ground // Jan 2025 Share on LinkedInLinkedInShare on TwitterTwitterShare on FacebookFacebookShare on RedditRedditShare on FlipboardFlipboardShare on TumblrTumblrShare via EmailGmailShare on WhatsAppWhatsApp Incheon International Airport Corporation’s Fast Travel program is elevating the customer experience and optimising efficiency, with the aim of providing seamless hands-free travel throughout the whole journey. In this video interview, following his participation at FTE APEX Asia Expo 2024 shares how Incheon has analysed the demands of customers and drawn a “Journey Map” to help transform CX the airport’s exploration of robotics and Artificial Intelligence technologies and ‘Easy’ elevate the customer experience,” Hwang explains the Fast Travel Team at Incheon Airport has installed self-service check-in and bag drop as well as automated and biometric-enabled e-gates Future plans include connecting separated services in order to facilitate truly seamless hands-free travel with ‘One ID’ by cooperating with other airports and industry stakeholders.” Incheon has identified robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies as key to enhancing the passenger experience and optimising operational efficiency It has cooperated with startups and other relevant organisations to conduct Proof of Concepts in the areas of robotics and AI we are in the process of making a decision on which areas would be suitable for launching as official services,” says Hwang ‘AI humans’ will be stationed at the information desk in the airport helping with passenger wayfinding and providing relevant information about the airport.” Each airport partner in BOOST will tackle a specific technical challenge in automating the baggage process – Incheon is demonstrating an odd-sized baggage handling concept by utilising Doosan Robotics to automate the handling of irregularly sized and heavy baggage classifying and transporting to each terminal building This will alleviate the workload for baggage handlers and enhance operational efficiency Each core member of BOOST will work on a unique technical challenge conducting onsite Proof of Concepts (POCs) to test robotics and other technologies Information and insights from these POCs will be shared with the other core partners and the wider BIWG community on a regular basis allowing all to benefit from multiple tests without having to execute them independently This collaborative approach aims to speed up the innovation process across all participating airports Incheon is also notable for its Extended Reality (XR) Metaverse which provides an indoor wayfinding service based on 3D spatial data and Augmented Reality technology IOT & Robotics case studies & knowledge sharing Content plans: Focus on the future of baggage handling Proof of Concepts updates & knowledge sharing Content plans: A worldwide summit uniting inventive minds to tackle aviation’s biggest challenges and uncover the city’s vibrant tech and innovation landscape Content plans: Strategies for revenue growth through collaborative retailing; discussions around progressive new business models & knowledge sharing Content plans: A gathering of air transport’s digital and innovation leaders who will inspire one another and reimagine travel together Content plans: Known as the ‘CES of Aviation’ FTE Global is THE DEFINITIVE EVENT FOR INNOVATORS Content plans: Asia’s biggest free to attend passenger experience & business performance expo A worldwide summit uniting inventive minds to tackle aviation’s biggest challenges Empowering the airline sector to profit from collaborative digital retailing opportunities at every step of the journey A gathering of air transport’s digital and innovation leaders creative designers and progressive minds who will inspire one another and reimagine travel together Where the world's most progressive travel facilitators define tomorrow’s end-to-end passenger experience Connecting vendors with airline and airport executives to transform tomorrow’s end-to-end passenger journey across Asia-Pacific During my quick trip to Japan & Korea, I had the chance to check out the Korean Air Prestige Lounge at Seoul Incheon Airport (ICN), prior to my Korean Air A321neo business class flight Prestige Class is how Korean Air markets its business class so this is the carrier’s business class lounge at its biggest hub The airline has two Prestige Lounges at Incheon Airport Terminal 2 — the Prestige Lounge East and Prestige Lounge West due to being further from the central security checkpoint I’d put this more on par with your typical Priority Pass lounge in Asia Ultimately it’s an okay place to kill some time but definitely don’t arrive early to use this lounge these lounges really make me not want to even fly on a SkyTeam partner through Incheon given the extent to which airlines routes their passengers through this hub The Korean Air Business Lounge Incheon that I visited is located near gate 253 and walked down the main terminal corridor Note that the other Korean Air Business Lounge is located by gate 249 so it has a more central location for all departures (as a result The lounge is located one level above the concourse (on level four) The lounge can be accessed by elevator or escalator and it’s in the same area as the Walkherhill Transit Hotel it’s interesting how the reception desk is located to the right so it almost feels like it would be easy to sneak into the lounge I was quickly admitted to the lounge upon presenting my boarding pass and couldn’t help but stop and appreciate the Korean Air Airbus A380 model The Korean Air Business Lounge Incheon that I visited is open daily from 6AM until 10PM Note that the other Korean Air Business Lounge is open daily from 4AM until 12AM The Korean Air Business Lounge Incheon isn’t terribly big for a hub lounge though it’s the (slightly) smaller of the carrier’s two business class lounges in the terminal The below picture shows you the main room of the lounge It’s my understanding that the lounge can get slammed during peak hours The lounge’s decor is somewhat modern It’s just such a massive contrast to Cathay Pacific’s lounge design The centerpiece of the lounge is basically some elevated high-top seating where you feel like you’re on display for everyone as there are rows of seats and benches that are facing these seats Then there are all kinds of seating arrangements outside of this center area Look at the below picture — have you seen a more boring lounge but rather just a bunch of TVs all over the place (some with flight status there’s an entertainment room with a couple of TVs Perhaps the most impressive part of the lounge is the quiet room in the very back left corner This space has two kinds of seating — there are slightly reclined chairs though there’s no bedding of any sort should you want to store your bags while in the lounge Let me emphasize that I’m not saying this is some horrible lounge that’s among the worst in the world I’m saying that Asia has some incredible lounges and this is one of the carrier’s flagship lounges in a terminal that’s still quite new so I just feel like Korean Air could’ve done better The Korean Air Business Lounge Incheon has a self-serve buffet the lounge’s cold food options included a salad bar of sorts am I the only one who thinks that it might be a nice touch to have a noodle bar in the lounge with freshly prepared noodles rather than these cheap instant noodles that you’d expect to find in a convenience store Self-serve drinks included juice dispensers Korean Air has these tiny cups of water in all of its lounges globally but drinking out of these just isn’t enjoyable or do we just assume it’s the cheapest option because I’ve never been able to make sense of them The lounge also has a bar that’s staffed which is where all the alcohol (except beer) is available but it’s just not as good as at other Asian hub lounges not that I’m the biggest dessert eater in the world but I was surprised how there was no dessert at the buffet with the exception of the muffins (which I got the sense were part of the breakfast setup rather than being intended specifically as dessert) The Korean Air Business Lounge Incheon has bathrooms in the back right corner of the lounge and sink (impressively with Aesop soap at the sink The Korean Air Prestige Business Lounge Incheon is disappointing at least in comparison to other hub lounges in Asia Incheon Terminal 2 is a modern terminal that’s home to Korean Air Korean Air’s lounge doesn’t impress The lounge has a super basic design with limited amenities and a mediocre selection of food and drinks Ultimately this is still better than hanging out in the terminal but I’d put this lounge more in the category of what I’d expect from a solid Priority Pass lounge at a major Asian airport rather than what I’d expect from a carrier’s hub lounge (especially for a Skytrax 5-star airline not that I put any weight into those rankings) I’m lucky I at least visited during an off-peak time because if I had walked in here when the lounge was packed I would’ve been even more disappointed What do you make of the Korean Air Business Lounge Incheon The shower is run by an angry Korean woman who cannot speak any English and within 2 minutes had notification on my phone that my shower was ready The Korean woman at the shower yelled at us to get out My friend's phone # didn't even show up on the computer KAL really needs someone running the shower besides an angry woman who cannot comminicate with clients The Korean lounge is definitely better than the Martina lounge Guess KE won't be making too many product announcements post-merger I’m standing in line at ICN T2 security after having checked in at KE Premium check-in a secluded area for Sky Priority and premium cabin pax you should mention that there is no priority security lane whatsoever it looks promising with a manned entrance to premium check in but then you just exit back into the regular part of the airport to join the excruciatingly long lines.. a little splash of color wouldn't go amiss lack of art: the committee had a mandate for N seats Korean Air business class lounges really are not that great at all Same with BR as their business class lounges suck too The space they have there is great but it's unfortunate the offering is trash You do tend to get the sense that they're optimizing for SkyTeam standards rather than their *A/oneworld regional competitors That's why SkyTeam has always been considered by those in-the-know as second best 'SkyTeam has always been considered as second best by those 'in-the-know' who never travel to Central/South America and are happy to fly via CMN for all their journeys within Africa' we can all agree that the blue-circle alliance has far more premium lounges — even at non-Oneworld hubs Lounge quality is what matters for this article I still prefer ST airlines to OW airlines.. What is most striking is the total lack of design ethic in respect of the furniture *layout* each chair / seat seems to be arranged 'cinema-style' where seats face the back of the person in front There seems to be no area where multiple people travelling together can sit and chat What do business travellers or families of three or four do to get people in and out of the lounge as fast as possible there is nothing that encourages inter-personal interaction where your only interaction is with the serving staff ie: cafeteria style Contrast this layout with the recently-opened new Oneworld lounge Korean and Asians has consistently undercut prices especially in discounted economy from americas to asia and vice versa You get bottom of the barrel travelers going through ICN versus Tokyo or Taipei or hongkong As a result I’m not surprised by the state of its lounges too Waiting for the name changer to tell us how bad Korean lounges are and how good Japanese or Indian lounges are And finally rubbing it in to Ben by telling him to "visualise yourself flying Qsuites or Air France or JAL or something of that kind Also how great Taiwanese lounges are and how they and Japanese & Indian ones beat Cathay Pacific Though I'm confused since he insists that "my username is an ordinary because international travel can sometimes consist of very non-glamorous products and it’s your choice to accept them or not." So I guess he's only willing to accept discomfort of.. Your commentary is revealing of your prejudice What Susie says of Sally says more of Susie than of Sally Singapore and Hong Kong have the best lounges in Asia NOT Tokyo (except perhaps the JAL Sakura First Lounge) and certainly not Taipei (except the Starlux Galactic Lounge at T2) Also I wonder what'll happen to ANA/EVA in this Japan/Korea/Taiwan aviation triangle with the Asiana merger Taipei/Seoul/Tokyo are among some of the busiest international routes in the world And I Notice that Japanese carriers are very reluctant to fly their own metal to Taipei and Seoul Will ANA have to send more of its metal over to.. Will ANA have to send more of its metal over to Seoul Or will KE extend codeshare to them as well but SEL-TYO market is totally taken over by Korean LCCs such as Jeju Air GMP-HND is the only route that FSCs thrive thanks to slot restriction so I don't think ANA will be able to expand in that market at all The market is pretty important since it drastically increases the connecting funnel for longhaul service to the US and other markets (in both directions) The reason why these 3 cities see critical is that they provide a huge amount of Asia connecting traffic Korean Air is the one who will have control of the HND slot so I assume they will have to continue their GMP and ICN services or give it up The issue is EVA and especially ANA will be hurt by the loss of Asiana ANA only flies 3x between TYO and SEL vs OZ's 8x frequencies BR may just one up the frequency or upgauge the narrowbody flights I wish KAL would shift at least one of their GMP-HND to PUS Busan is actually my favourite city in Korea to visit and there're a lot of demands too - KAL would be able to fly six daily GMP-HND flights following the merger as Japanese authorities decided to not impose any restrictions so I guess they could spare at least one to the country's second biggest city and its metropolitan area with about seven million people my 2 cents (and i know I'm certainly not unique even among my ATL friend group) largely quality/service reasons that I eventually had no choice but to throw in the towel on flying Delta their lounge game is lacking...though China Airlines has a decent lounge China Airlines lounges in TPE are below KE lounges in Incheon.. Garuda has good on-board service in first-class including meals on shorter domestic/regional flights but no alcohol and the lounge at Jakarta is awful Worse than a Plaza Premium North American lounge China Eastern is not that bad comparing to China Southern a company that even cannot figure out what their own “CZ Priority” means themselves And CEA’s MU Noodle campaign is pretty successful while they have the best sense of art speaking of airplane interior in China - maybe Hainan’s also good CI/CAL is usually considered the worst among Taiwan 3 but I think they are doing well on sense of.. China Eastern is consistently the worst Chinese airlines in terms of safety and service in recent years The number of complaint cases is more than China southern and air china combined The designer of this lounge must have also led the design of the SkyTeam lounge at DXB It's pretty odd how the Japan/Korea/Taiwan carriers all have very weak lounges especially when compared to how much better their inflight service is ANA's Suite lounge and JAL's First Class lounges are good but they feel like good business class lounges rather than actual first class lounges EVA's only good lounge is for their Diamond members (not accessible for first.. EVA's only good lounge is for their Diamond members (not accessible for first class or Star Alliance Gold) In an interesting contrast with this blog's recent comments on DL this lounge isn't being compared to the offerings of the airline's rivals in Korea (Asiana but rather to airlines within an entire continent stretching as far as SAW in Istanbul The implicit assertion that people wanting to travel between e.g Muscat and Delhi won't choose KE because of their underwhelming lounge seems 100% legit I think this is like the same situations as SkyClubs in ATL; No real competition in T2 (3 other PP lounges) therefore no real motivation to step it up I don't know if they have room to put a SkyClub in there I wish the author would have taken photos with people in them Arriving from USA to ICN is typically after a very long flight The food is OK but the experience is not very good Food is OK but the atmosphere reminds of something not quite Prestigious… It is a place to kill some time between the flights ….no other options but at least they have a nice selection of booze I can't say the same for the MH lounge in KUL (5 choices total of bottom-shelf liquor for a flagship lounge) I would love to see you review that again as my oh my The alcohol in the KUL satellite does leave something to be desired but their food is excellent If they could just get their spirits selection in order My goodness...what a depressing sea of beige and grey lumpen furniture and cheap floor tiles We've all seen hospital waiting rooms similar to this Incheon as a whole always has been much over-rated Kinda sad that SQ has a better lounge at ICN than both OZ and KE I'm sure that it boils down to some manager/executive in charge of lounges at KE simply not having any great sense of taste I agree it is not as fancy as some other business class lounges in the region but I think some of the complaints here are more against things that are Korean rather than Korean Air Asiana has the same 2 types of packaged ramen for a reason You wanted a noodle bar--like one that serves HK style fish ball soup And Jeju is supposed to have some of the purest water in Korea Pretty sure Lucky wasn't complaining about the water per se There are actual bottled water companies in Korea that use water from Jeju but Korean Air insists on using these weird plastic containers that have people peel their water containers and sip from it like it's a campsite The furnishings look identical to the ones found in their lounge at LAX which is also the worst one in the airport they refused to send their customers there It’s also quite a colourful country therefore it’s bizarre why it’s not reflected in their lounges including some artwork Love all the recent Skyteam coverage to further deepen my disappointment about SAS’ move to skyteam Anko really delivered to his former masters SAS is very Scandinavian in trying not to stand out I wonder how the Asiana lounge compares to this one but at least there is an awesome Singapore Airlines lounge next door to compensate Sky Team simply lays an egg in Asia and this lounge is the perfect metaphor Breakfast spread seems better than other meals but man the afternoon/evening spreads are borderline not edible in my experience Half the dishes are some sort of mass produced Also I laugh every time I grab 6 of the little shot glasses of water-in-a-plastic-"cup" at a time.. why they don't have water on tap is beyond me Breakfast spread seems better than other meals Half the dishes are some sort of mass produced why it is so highly regarded is a mystery to me I don't even think reliability is all that good ICN is straight up not a well designed airport regardless of how much money you spend on travel The distance between immigration and your gate can be extremely long Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 might as well be separate airports entirely I haven't had to park at Terminal 2 but Terminal 1 parking is a disaster with cars parking on sidewalks and curbs because there aren't enough spots... with cars parking on sidewalks and curbs because there aren't enough spots I'm pretty sure there is no way to drive to ICN from Seoul without paying tolls They are connected by an underground train airside There’s not much transit from 1-2 as t2 is primarily SkyTeam I’d say this is the worst lounge I’ve been to and if I don’t want to be too harsh it will come second after the air Serbia lounge in Belgrade grab a bite and go walk around or to the gate area seating isn’t comfortable nor private and bathrooms outside are better Agree with Lucky - these lounges are a very good reason to avoid arriving early or flying Skyteam out of ICN I am not sure to how many lounges you have been to Well above what you get at the KLM lounge in AMS I would personally like a noodle bar but Koreans view the instant noodles with a bit more regard than others I don't think removing the cup instant noodles and replacing them with a 'real' noodle bar will go over well with many of the Korean clientele I personally know a bunch of people who love that stuff in lounges and midflight (That being said as a Korean I agree with you Lucky) Korean Air with ICN Terminal 2 made some really questionable decisions that confirm its position as "second tier" when they really.. Korean Air with ICN Terminal 2 made some really questionable decisions that confirm its position as "second tier" when they really should have gone all out with this new terminal Despite the new facilities ICN doesn't have that cool factor it once had maybe 20 years ago and I find that there are airports in the US I like using more than ICN SAS will deploy an A350 on the Seoul route Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) will launch its first regular nonstop service between Scandinavia and South Korea next summer the home hub of its new SkyTeam alliance partner Korean Air SAS will commence operations between Copenhagen Airport and Seoul Incheon International Airport using the Airbus A350 Flights will be offered four times per week during the summer months reducing to 3X-weekly during the winter season The airline says the route will expand its network reach in Asia and “cater to the growing demand among travelers from Korea to visit Scandinavia while providing connections through the SAS network to the rest of Europe.” SAS adds that flights are scheduled with evening departures The network addition comes less than three months after SAS left Star Alliance to join SkyTeam—one of the conditions of a broader restructuring that has seen Air France-KLM take a 19.9% stake in the airline SAS has already announced a new route to Seattle from next May marking the carrier's return to the Washington air gateway after more than 15 years it will be able to access feed from SkyTeam partner Delta Air Lines’ extensive network the Scandinavian carrier opened a route to Delta's home hub Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in June which operated daily during the summer and has five roundtrips per week during the winter SAS will become the sole operator of flights between Denmark and South Korea once the Seoul service begins The only other service from the Nordics is Finnair’s daily A350-900 operations between Helsinki and Seoul Sabre Market Intelligence figures for 2023 show that 77% of passengers traveling from Helsinki to Seoul began their journey at points on Finnair’s network behind Helsinki SAS will target connecting passengers through Copenhagen for its new route the global route development community's trusted source for news and information This route—the only direct flight linking Salt Lake City to Asia—will provide seamless connections to key destinations across Asia for travelers throughout the Mountain West and Southwest U.S Customers will enjoy Delta’s state-of-the-art Airbus A350 along with modern amenities at SLC’s recently upgraded terminal and the expansive Delta Sky Club ensuring a smooth and comfortable trans-Pacific journey.  “The launch of Salt Lake City to Seoul service offers customers convenient access to Delta’s growing global network and ensures that virtually all U.S demand is connected to Seoul via nonstop or one-stop service,” said Joe Esposito Delta’s Senior Vice President – Network Planning “As Salt Lake City continues to grow as a vital Delta hub our strong joint venture with Korean Air allows us to offer unmatched connectivity between the U.S have access not just to Seoul but to key destinations across Asia."  Delta—together with partner Korean Air—offers access to Seoul from 14 U.S President of Incheon International Airport Corporation “I’m confident that Incheon Airport will continue to grow as a global hub through our partnership with Delta Air Lines we aim to set the standard for airline partnerships sharing a vision of leading the global aviation market as a top-tier airport and airline.” This historic route solidifies Delta’s leadership in Salt Lake City where it operates more flights than all other carriers combined Delta’s robust presence includes nearly 250 peak-day departures to more than 90 destinations worldwide featuring nonstop service to other international cities like Amsterdam the lounge provides a relaxing haven for customers before they embark on their journey to Seoul.  I am excited to expand Utah’s global reach and foster new cultural and business partnerships," said Utah Gov "Delta’s commitment to our state underscores Utah’s growing role on the world stage I was delighted to meet with President Yoon Suk Yeol and discuss how this new route will deepen connections between Utah and Korea.”  “Strong partnerships can often have the biggest impacts on visitors and our residents," said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall the Incheon route will connect our capital city with 80-plus destinations in Asia expanding our community’s global reach and what so many already know Salt Lake City and the Mountain West are among the best places to visit and an even better place to call home.”  The daily, year-round service to Seoul will be operated on Delta’s state-of-the-art Airbus A350-900 offering the latest in premium travel with Delta One Suites Travelers can expect Delta’s renowned service and a uniquely premium onboard experience as they travel across the Pacific Delta One customers will enjoy a luxury experience with lie-flat seating, premium bedding, expanded beverage options, and a seasonal chef-curated four-course meal. As part of Delta’s new collaboration with Italian fashion house Missoni Delta One passengers will receive exclusive amenity kits featuring luxury details that elevate their inflight experience and elevated service create a more spacious and relaxing journey passengers can enjoy a curated food and beverage experience along with access to over 1,000 hours of entertainment via Delta Studio Already available on 90% of domestic flights streaming-quality Wi-Fi to long-haul international routes The entire global fleet is expected to offer free Wi-Fi by the end of next year making it easier than ever for SkyMiles Members to stay connected during their travels For more information on Delta’s new route and its expanding global network, visit delta.com A team of student fellows at Mason Korea's Center for Security and Policy Studies received a grant from George Mason University to support their research on improving water quality in Incheon's Seunggi-cheon stream Under the guidance of Mason Korea faculty members Soyoung Kwon and Dakota McCarty, the team conducted fieldwork to collect and analyze water samples as part of the Mason Impact program "Enhancing Water Quality Management of Seunggi-cheon in Incheon Nature-based Approach," produced a comprehensive dataset that helped pinpoint areas of elevated pollution in the stream using advanced statistical techniques The findings informed the development of actionable strategies to enhance local stream health "We started this research project with one goal: to make an impact," said global affairs major Hyunwoo Jo "I’m glad that we’ve accomplished just that through our case study I was able to conduct valuable—and unique—quantitative research under faculty guidance." "I believe the world can change by focusing on small things nearby Seunggi-cheon may be unknown to those outside Incheon it is valuable to local residents as a place for walking and supporting various wildlife," said global affairs major Minji Kim "Through collecting and analyzing water samples we gained insights into environmental security that could inform policies not just for this river "This project was a perfect case of the power of pairing interdisciplinary research with experiential learning," said McCarty who is an assistant professor in Mason Korea’s Department of Environmental Science and Policy and getting their hands dirty in real-world field research the team not only gained valuable research experience but also contributed actionable insights to improve water quality in the Seunggi-cheon stream." our student fellows had a valuable time learning through experiments," said Kwon an associate professor of global affairs and director of security policy studies-Korea "They also learned how to translate the research outcomes into policies for community development."  The mini grant, awarded by George Mason’s Office of the Provost, supports experiential learning projects that address real-world challenges. The students presented their findings at Mason Korea's Fall 2024 Student Project Showcase.