Incheon airport becomes world's busiest, overtaking Heathrow
What's the story
Incheon International Airport in South Korea has become the world's busiest airport for international passenger traffic, according to preliminary data from Airports Council International. The airport served 38.4 million international passengers in the first half of this year, surpassing London's Heathrow Airport which had 37.79 million passengers. Singapore's Changi Airport came third with 34.53 million passengers during the same period.
Passenger shift
Increase in transfer passengers
The rise of Incheon International Airport is partly due to passengers being diverted from Middle Eastern hubs amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict.
The airport corporation noted that some travelers who would have transited through Dubai are now using Incheon as their stopover.
This has led to an 18% increase in transfer passengers compared to last year, with those headed for Europe rising by a staggering 63.2% to 210,000.
Infrastructure growth
The airport was opened in 2001
The increase in passenger numbers at Incheon International Airport has also been supported by an expansion of its infrastructure.
The airport, which opened in 2001, now serves 158 international destinations.
This is more than Hong Kong's International Airport (139 destinations), Shanghai's Pudong (92), and Tokyo's Narita (86).