Daily number of travelers at Incheon Int'l Airport hits highest level in nearly 3 yrs

SEOUL, Nov. 7 (Yonhap) -- The daily number of passengers traveling via Incheon International Airport has hit 90,000, the highest point in two years and eight months, the airport's operator said Monday.

According to the Incheon International Airport Corp., a total of 93,251 people traveled via the airport, the main gateway to South Korea, on Sunday, the first number above 90,000 since Feb. 24, 2020.

The latest figure represents an over tenfold leap from the corresponding number of 9,093 posted on Jan. 1 this year.

Officials said the growth is attributable to lessened COVID-19 travel controls in Japan and Taiwan, which together accounted for a major share in demand for flight services via Incheon International Airport before the onset of COVID-19.

The two countries resumed visa-free tourism programs for foreigners over the past two months amid the receding pandemic.

As of October, flight services at Incheon International Airport had recovered to 39.2 percent of the level recorded in October of 2019, when the pandemic had not yet been identified.

pbr@yna.co.kr
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