About 40 passengers lining up to check bags at the check-in counter. A departure hall queue that does not even fill half of the 30–50 meters of guide lines. A smart pass (face recognition-based departure service) dedicated departure hall sitting empty.
On the morning of the 14th, the east side of the 3rd floor at Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 (T2), where Asiana Airlines had transfered, was quiet. A security staffer said, "It's a weekday, so that should be considered, but even with Asiana Airlines newly here, the congestion doesn't seem different from usual."
Among the five Asiana Airlines check-in counters operating at T2, only the automated baggage-only counter (G) and the counters (H) for passengers with regular or oversized baggage, those accompanying infants, those in exit-row seats, and those holding consolidation tickets were occasionally busy.
The congestion levels at the Korean Air lounges available to Asiana Airlines customers were also such that only the west side of the Prestige Garden was very crowded throughout the morning, while the Prestige east side and the Prestige Garden east side were moderate, and the Miller Club was smooth.
Song Se-hyeok, 34, who arrived at the airport two hours before departing for Phuket, said, "I travel abroad six times a year, and the airport congestion doesn't seem much different from usual."
A woman in her 50s departing for Jakarta also said, "The airline texted me at least three times to come to T2," adding, "The airline counters have transfered and I'm going alone, so I came more than three hours early out of concern, but the airport seems quiet."
The congestion that had been feared due to Asiana Airlines' terminal transfer did not materialize because Incheon Airport Security, in preparation for Asiana Airlines' transfer that day, additionally deployed about 70 personnel to T2, including staff from Terminal 1 (T1) and off-duty personnel, minimizing confusion.
An Incheon Airport Security official said, "In the morning, we operated 14 of the 17 security screening lanes to minimize inconvenience to passengers," adding, "Security screening usually takes about 50 minutes, and it was at a similar level today."
However, with Incheon Airport Security, the Incheon Airport subsidiary in charge of security screening, still facing a staffing shortage, congestion could occur at any time. There are a total of 2,043 security screening personnel at Incheon Airport, with 1,156 at T1 and 887 at T2.
Even though the ratio of users between T1 and T2 has become similar due to Asiana Airlines' transfer, the staffing gap remains large. An Incheon Airport Security official said, "There are limits to mobilizing off-duty personnel," adding, "The security screening equipment at T1 and T2 differs, and T1 users are also increasing, so additional hiring is urgently needed."
The confusion among passengers caused by Asiana Airlines moving from T1 to T2, which it had used until now, was not significant. According to Asiana Airlines, as of 1 p.m. that day, a total of 20 passengers arrived at T1.
Of those, 12 were Chinese and two were Japanese, meaning many were foreigners, and six were Korean. Asiana Airlines transported passengers who went to the wrong terminal to T2 using emergency shuttle vehicles. The emergency shuttle vehicles will operate through the 28th.
To prevent confusion that could arise from the terminal transfer, Asiana Airlines installed information banners on electronic signboards and streetlights at airport entrances and posted notices on public transportation. It will also operate a separate information desk at T1 through the 27th.
Asiana Airlines' T2 transfer came about roughly a year after the decision to merge with Korean Air at the end of 2024. Asiana Airlines said it launched a dedicated task force (TF) in August last year and spent five months preparing for the terminal transfer.
Cho Won-tae, chairman of Hanjin Group, visited the Asiana Airlines counter that day and said, "It finally feels like we're being integrated," adding, "It took a long time, so it is meaningful. We will put more effort into integration and stabilization."