SEOUL, Yearly passenger traffic at Incheon International Airport is expected to rebound to nearly 80 percent of the pre-pandemic levels, the airport's operator said Wednesday.

The airport handled some 338,000 flights this year, up 97.3 percent from a year ago, and nearly 56 million passengers, a 213 percent jump from a year earlier, according to Incheon International Airport Corp.

The rebound is attributable to the easing of immigration rules globally, and speedy recovery of travel demand following the pandemic, the airport's operator said.

The number of international passengers traveling via the airport is expected to range between 67.5 million and 71 million next year, or 96-101 percent of the 2019 levels.

The passenger traffic demand will surpass the pre-pandemic levels in 2025, the airport's operator said, citing resumption of group tours from China, and expansion of slots, which refers to the departure or arrival time of an aircraft.

This file photo shows tourists at Incheon International Airport during the Korean fall harvest celebration holiday on Sept. 27, 2023.

The operator's revenue this year is to reach nearly 2.1 trillion won (US$ 1.6 billion), with the net income being 380 billion won, as the company is on track to post the first profitable year in three years.

The profit forecast for next year is expected to increase by 14 percent year-on-year, but the net income is estimated at 295 billion won, down 22 percent, due to factors including inflation and high interest rates.

Meanwhile, the Incheon airport plans to push various infrastructure development projects and work on service improvements in 2024, including devising a prediction system based on big data, expanding the remote or off-the-airport check-in process, and establishing smart security check services, which omits the need to take out notebook computers from travelers' baggage.

It also plans to complete the expansion project of terminal 2 while conduct improvements in terminal 1 of the airport, and review setting up a second Airport Railroad (AREX) line, which can transport passengers from Seoul Station to the airport.

Source: Yonhap News Agency