Incheon airport’s cumulative cargo handling exceeds 50 million tons

Incheon International Airport has handled more than 50 million tons of cargo since its opening 20 years ago.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport and the Incheon International Airport Corporation on Tuesday, the cumulative amount of cargo handled at the Incheon airport exceeded the 50 million ton mark when a Korean Air cargo plane bound to Atlanta departed Incheon carrying 70 tons of export cargo at 10:59 a.m. on July 27. The Incheon International Airport has transported more than 50 million tons of cargo since its opening in 2001.

Incheon airport’s air cargo volume increased by 23 percent year-on-year to 1.62 million ton in the first half of this year under the circumstance that there were virtually no international passengers due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Incheon airport is expected to handle 3 million tons of air cargo this year for the first time since its opening.

The Incheon airport is currently expanding and building new terminals for global delivery companies FedEx and DHL. Starting from next month, it will open a new cool center for cargo, such as biopharmaceuticals, fresh products, and animals in order to minimize waiting and transit time, and protect cargo from bad weather. “Once the cool center opens, it will be of great help to the aviation industry by creating new cargo demand, such as vaccines,” a ministry official said. “We are aiming to make the Incheon airport cement its position as the world’s third-largest cargo-handling airport this year as well.”


Lee Sae Saem iamsam@donga.com