Incheon International Airport

On a reclaimed tidal flat off Yongjong island, some 50 kilometers west of Seoul, sits the next big thing for the Asian aviation industry. The sprawling Incheon International Airport - dubbed the Winged City by the government -- is a massive, state-of-the-art facility that aims to become northeast Asia's international hub for air travel.

Incheon is located within 1,000 kilometers of 40 cities with a population of at least 1 million. It's almost equidistant (about two hours) from Beijing and Tokyo -- two of the biggest markets in the region. Hong Kong can be reached in four hours, Singapore in seven. The airport is also on the front line of the main air route connecting East Asia with Europe and North America, further enhancing its strategic position for long-haul flights.

Nine years in planning and construction, IIA will handle all international flights and serve as a transit point to domestic routes It will replace the congested Kimpo International Airport, one of the busiest hubs in Asia. Kimpo Airport will be used only for domestic flights and part of cargo handling. Kimpo reached its capacity in 1997, serving 36.5 million passengers.

Since opening on March 29, the new airport has handled more than 9,211 domestic and international flights or an average of 297 flights every day. Kimpo handled 261 flights per day in the same period last year.

The new airport has two 3,750-meter runways and a passenger terminal with 44 gates. It can handle 27 million passengers a year, but plans are already underway to add two more runways and another terminal to increase the capacity to 100 million passengers by 2020.

A state-of-the-art air navigation system will be in place from the first phase of airport operation, providing the safest possible 24-hour airport operation for aircraft approaches, landing and take-offs in all weather conditions.

At 3 million square feet, the passenger terminal will be Korea's largest building. It will have 252 check-in counters, 23 baggage carousels, 138 customs inspection stations and 288 arrival and departure passport-control counters.

As a special service for foreign visitors, the nation's first customs-free zone will be set up at the Incheon in a bid to turn the airport into a major distribution hub in the East Asian region. "It will become a new destination where people will be able to relax and enjoy diverse facilities," says Kang Dong-sok, president of the Incheon International Airport Authority (IIAA).

The two national carriers - Korean Air (KAL) and Asiana Airlines – also relocated offices to the IIA passenger terminal. Both carriers share the IIA terminal space at the rate of 50:22 in favor of KAL, with the remainder taken by foreign carriers.

The passenger terminal, 1,055 meters long and 149 meters wide, and a 4-story building with 2-story basement, is the biggest one all over the world, and it provides various concessions including business rooms, special stores, restaurants, and hotels.