Incheon airport ranks world's No. 1 in int'l passenger traffic in first half

Incheon International Airport, located in Seoul, secured the top spot globally for international passenger traffic in the first half of 2025, handling over 38 million passengers. This marks the first time the airport, which opened in 2001, has topped the global ranking since its inception. The airport processed 38.39 million international passengers between January and June, a 6.3% increase compared to the same period last year, according to Incheon International Airport Corp. (IIAC).

This figure surpassed the 37.79 million passengers handled by London Heathrow and the 34.53 million served at Singapore's Changi Airport, as per preliminary data from Airports Council International (ACI).

Incheon's global ranking in international passengers has climbed from 10th place in 2002 to fifth in 2018, and third in 2024. IIAC officials speculate that the surge in passenger numbers may be attributed to shifting air travel demand, particularly between Dubai and Europe, as Middle Eastern airports like Dubai experience weakened transit operations following the U.S.-Iran war.

The number of transfer passengers at Incheon surged by 18.1% year-over-year to 4.24 million in the first half of 2025, with a notable 63.2% increase on European routes to 210,000. Additionally, foreign passengers comprised an all-time high of 44.4% of total passengers at Incheon during the second quarter of 2025.