Here everything is made for people.
This airport is recognized as the best in the world for over 10 years, according to Airports Council International ACI. Also 10 years, he has been consistently in the top three at Skytrax, consistently receiving 5 stars, and in 2009 and 2012, receiving first place. He is 5th in the world in terms of turnover and 11th in the world in terms of air traffic, being one of the largest hubs of Asia. He is the youngest mega-airport with passenger traffic of over 30 million a year — it was built for 8 years in the sea, alluvium soil between the two Islands, combining them into one just to build this facility.
South Korea, Incheon airport (or Seoul airport). In addition to all these impressive facts, it is also one of the most beautiful and convenient for passengers airports in the world. In General, Incheon airport can be called one of the attractions of South Korea, which is definitely worth seeing.
Photos and text by Sergei Анашкевича1. The fact that the airport is very young, can be seen at first glance as it flew or drove up the opposite ground transport for departure. Fashionable, spectacular, futuristic. The airport of the future.
The building began immediately after the Olympics in Seoul, when the country has an influx of tourists and commercial cargo delivered by air. Serving in those years, the South Korean capital, Gimpo airport was just panting and the authorities have urgently decided to build a truly huge airport with an eye to the future and a huge outer volume of traffic. That’s just a convenient place near the capital for such a massive project was not at all. Except in the sea. In the end, the decision to combine the two Islands — Incheon Yeongjong and Jejudo, alluvium between them millions of tons of soil.
Pan primer began in 1992, and in 2000 it was already built super-airport. Another 6 months had passed the necessary certification, debugging, processes and configuration of infrastructure and, finally, in March 2001, Incheon was opened for commercial flights
2. But not everything went smoothly. From the first days revealed a serious problem — handling passengers ‘ Luggage. Full automation to achieve failed baggage handling had to be implemented in semi-automatic mode that for such a gigantic airport and resulted in hours of waiting passengers their Luggage. But the problem was solved and the airport quickly began to gain momentum.
Here has passed two major Korean carriers Korean Air and Asiana, and after a couple of years the airport has approached the peak capacity to service the flights. In Incheon urgently begin work on a significant expansion of the airport, which was planned to start only a few years.
In the end, today the airport handles 30 million passengers per year.
3. Incheon is built very convenient. This is not Dubai airport and not Charles de Gaulle airport with scattered terminals that need to connect the shuttles and the passengers sometimes have to spend up to 1 hour to get from one terminal to another, which can cause serious problems in case of short connections. There is a huge long terminal building with many entrances, as in an apartment building.
4. Every entrance works well with certain airlines, so the taxi driver in advance will clarify you what you are flying, to stay in the right of the entrance. Buses usually stop at several of the entrances where flying Asian carriers.
5. Around each entrance expect such people with a stick ending with a hook. They are with some incredible speed remove the bags of passengers from the insides of the next bus arrived. Minute and 50 suitcases unloaded the passengers and then slowly leave the bus. All done to ensure that at peak hours, not to create traffic jams as quickly as possible to see the entrance.
6. At the entrance, no frames, and hence queues. Imagine frame at the entrance to the airport with such a capacity? It would be hell! But in front of each entrance hangs a large scoreboard with departing flights. It seemed such an obvious solution, but in Domodedovo, for example, opposite the entrance. And some who are late, are forced to spend precious minutes to run with a suitcase before mitting point where it is the only display in the reception area.
7. Please note, some bright reception area!
8. The reception area is divided into sectors, as in most major airports. About each zone has its own information Desk.
9. Also in each area are self check-in kiosks, and scales for weighing Luggage.
10. Reception. About every two employees. One is directly involved in the registration, the second one helps with your Luggage moves on its trucks, shifts to the ribbon, hang tag and carry oversized baggage.
11. I flew from Incheon to Fiji flight Korean Air. Thanks to a Golden map of Aeroflot, registration took place at the front of the business class. Here, each passenger encountered courteous girl and escorted to the operator.
12. The first class separately, the business separately. Interestingly, after the registration, the operator offered me a seat in the chair next to the registration Desk and wait 5 minutes… Thanks to my bad English I did not understand why I had to wait. In the end went for inspection and pass the time before departure in the lounge.
13. But the lounge is not even reached. Much more interesting was remaining to landing, 20 minutes to spend walking the terminal. It really is very cool!
14. Duty Free shops are different from the already hackneyed standard points with a standard set of goods around the world. There are a lot their brands, so fans of shopping in anticipation of landing to be bored.
15. Since the terminal is really huge, everywhere there are moving walkways.
16. The gates is located a little apart from the main galleries, with shops and Lounges on the second floor. Here passengers can enjoy the view of the apron, Parking, takeoff and landing of aircraft.
17. Kids in our part of the terminal was not observed at all! Only 777, 747, 330, 340, 380… And somewhere in the distance…
18. Merry goes on the rise.
19. Now for the arrivals. For many passengers it is the first impression about South Korea. And it is more than positive. No sullen taxi drivers hustling, no crowds meet small snout through which to break with his Luggage. The arrivals area is huge, the gate to exit the lot, hangs over every Board with the information about flight arrivals and gate number on the way out. Everywhere benches for waiting, works lovely fast WiFi.
20. Unusual for us, stand mobile phone hire and Wi-Fi routers. The fact is that in Korea your phone become useless if you want to insert a local SIM card. It just won’t work. So it is easier to rent a phone with SIM card and without problems to use phones and the Internet. But this does not mean that your phone will not work in roaming.
21. The standard currency exchange. Rubles take.
22. You can use the ATM. Scared of the characters is not necessary, the menu includes Russian language.
23. At the exit a large map of the passenger platform with numbers of bus stops. The fact that it organized a terrific bus service to Seoul, so the need for a taxi almost disappears, although you can use its services. But given that to Seoul 70 km, then the distance of the city… gonna cost you. On the map you can enter the address or the name of your hotel and the system will show the number of the bus that fits you.
24. It remains to exit the terminal and find the right stop number.
25. Yeah, don’t forget to buy a bus ticket. They are sold in vending machines. Here, too, you need to enter the street or the hotel name, the machine will offer a number of buses and indicate the amount to be paid.
26. It looks like a bus ticket to Seoul. You cost me 15 thousand won. It is 1200 rubles.
27. Find the number of your Parking lot… Here are a few stands with the bus number. Nearly every people waiting for their route. Buses of different rooms quite a lot, so you have to be careful not to wait for the next, which can be in 20 minutes.
28. My bus came in. A specially trained person puts the suitcase in the Luggage compartment. It is possible to go.
29. Inside the bus is just not what we’re used to seeing our coaches. Full Suite, awesome comfortable leather seats, plenty of legroom, the backrest can recline almost to the prone position. Yes, and the bus late at night is almost empty. I must say that back in the airport, I went in the afternoon and the bus was only half full.
30. By the way, what else is really cool. In Seoul, a lot of special points, which are stops for the airport Shuttle. But usually from the airport you can easily take a bus, but the back… usually by taxi. In Seoul well you can go back to the airport all on the same bus.
