As Asiana Airlines will transfer to Terminal 2 (T2) starting Jan. 14 next year, concerns are growing about boarding delays and the possibility of safety accidents at the departure hall. About 4.5 million people a year (as of 2024) depart from Terminal 1 (T1) on Asiana Airlines, and they will all move to T2 at once.
T2 has fewer departure halls and security checkpoints than T1, making congestion unavoidable. Security screening staff are also far short. The plan is to send on-site staff from T1 to T2, but on-site workers believe it will be difficult to prevent congestion. Until a few years ago, Incheon Airport had the shortest security screening wait times and topped customer satisfaction, but its ranking has recently fallen.
According to Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) on the 4th, the number of passengers who went through departure procedures at T1 last year to fly Asiana Airlines totaled 4,460,073. That averages 371,567 a month and 12,389 a day. In other words, 20% of annual T1 departures (22,152,148) use Asiana Airlines.
They must complete procedures and depart from T2 starting Jan. 14 next year. While the annual number of T1 departures will decrease to 17,693,075 as of last year's basis, T2 departures will increase from 9,634,352 to 14,094,425.
Asiana Airlines decided to begin operations at T2 at 12 a.m. on the day, following its merger with Korean Air. It is a step toward the launch of a combined airline for the two carriers at the end of next year. That is because Korean Air currently operates based out of T2.
If the two airlines use the same terminal, it becomes easier to run joint systems across airport operations, including passenger boarding, baggage handling, and ground handling. Since its opening in 2018, T2 has been used by Korean Air and Delta Air Lines, among other SkyTeam members.
However, compared with T1, T2 falls short in facilities and staffing needed for departure processing, including the number of departure halls, security checkpoints, and security screening staff. T2 has two departure halls, roughly half of T1. T1 has six departure halls in total, but Halls 1 and 6 are not used, so four are actually in operation.
The number of departure gates is also fewer: T1 (including the concourse) currently has 74, while T2 has 47, meaning T2 has 27 fewer than T1 (including the concourse). After Asiana Airlines' transfer, IIAC plans to add 16 gates within T2 for a total of 63. Even after adding gates, T2 will still have fewer than T1.
There is a high possibility that the number of security checkpoints (based on operating units), which all departing passengers must pass through, will be insufficient. At T1, a total of 28 machines, seven per departure hall, are currently in operation. T2 has 17 security checkpoints in each of its two departure halls, but 7 to 10 of them are not operating due to staffing issues. During the busiest peak times (4–9 a.m., 5–8 p.m.), the maximum number of security checkpoints operating has been confirmed at 8–9 per departure hall.
Of Incheon Airport's 2,043 security screening personnel, 1,156 work at T1 and 887 at T2. In preparation for Asiana Airlines' transfer, IIAC increased security screening staff by 119 last July. An IIAC official said, "We have already increased staffing in preparation for Asiana Airlines' transfer, and there are no additional expansion plans," adding, "We are reviewing, together with our subsidiary, adjustments to security screening staff to match the passenger ratio by terminal going forward."
However, on-site security screening workers say staffing needs to be increased because legal break times and continuous image-reading limits are not being observed at either T1 or T2. Even now, staff shortages are lengthening departure processing times, and security screening is not being conducted properly, leading to cases where some in-cabin prohibited items are found. As air travel demand rebounded rapidly in 2023 after COVID-19, there was a case where live ammunition was found on board and the security screening worker involved received a suspended indictment.
A source at Incheon International Airport Security said, "After T2 opened in 2018, we watched airlines transfer from T1, and as more airlines and routes launched, the number of departures recovered quickly," adding, "This time as well, I understand many airlines want to take the ports vacated at T1 by Asiana Airlines. The number of departures is also likely to increase again quickly. Additional staffing is needed for a fundamental solution."
There are also concerns, especially among members who frequently used the Korean Air and Asiana Airlines lounges, that it will become harder to access lounges. In response, Korean Air plans to expand the number of T2 lounges from four to about seven by the first half of next year. Total lounge seating will increase from 898 to 1,566. Asiana Airlines previously operated four lounges at T1.
Pilots and flight attendants belonging to airlines are also concerned about congestion due to Asiana Airlines' transfer to T2. The view is that if the number of departure halls is halved, not only passengers but also pilots and flight attendants moving in teams will face longer transit times inside the departure hall.
A pilot at a major airline said, "Incheon Airport already has so many passengers that it takes a considerable amount of time to pass through the departure hall," adding, "The number of immigration halls at T2 needs to be increased."
Meanwhile, customer satisfaction rankings based on Incheon Airport's security screening wait times have been steadily declining. According to the World's Best Airport Security Processing released by U.K.-based aviation rating agency Skytrax, Incheon Airport ranked No. 1 in 2021 but fell to fourth in 2023. As of 2023, Doha's Hamad Airport ranked first, followed by Singapore's Changi Airport in second and Zurich Airport in third.