Incheon International Airport scores three straight wins

Voted “Best Airport Worldwide” among 99 Airports

Incheon International Airport Takes Top Prize in Four Separate Awards. Earns Best Score in 30 out of 34 Service Areas.

For the past three years, Incheon International Airport has placed first in the annual Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Survey conducted by the Geneva-based Airports Council International (ACI).

The official awards ceremony for ACI’s 2007 ASQ Survey was held in Shanghai, China on April 1, 2008, with results of quarterly evaluations announced covering 99 of the world’s major airports and a total of 34 airport service factors, including seven service areas and 27 facilities & operations areas.

Initially managed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) beginning in 1993, jointly conducted by IATA and ACI in 2004, and solely administered by ACI as of 2005, the ASQ Survey is the world’s most authoritative airport benchmarking program.

Composed of members operating 1,647 airports in 175 countries and territories, ACI is the so-called “UN of Airports.” The results of ACI’s worldwide airport service quality evaluations can be regarded as a barometer of each country’s airport technology and service levels, and it motivates all countries’ airports to focus on updating facilities and elevating service.

For Incheon International Airport, which was named “Best Airport Worldwide” in both 2005 and 2006, this latest honor firmly secures their position as the world’s best airport service provider. This feat was accomplished despite stiff competition from the world’s leading airports including Dallas, Denver and San Francisco in the US, Heathrow and Gatwick in the UK, Schiphol (the Netherlands), Geneva (Switzerland), Changi (Singapore), Hong Kong and Dubai (UAE).

Recapturing the No.1 ranking in the ASQ Survey is also significant in terms of demonstrating Incheon International Airport’s determination to position itself as the region’s preeminent air transportation & logistics hub.

Not only was Incheon International Airport voted “Best Airport Worldwide,” but they were also named “Best Airport in Asia-Pacific” and “Best Airport (25~40 Million Passengers per Year),” while earning the “Airport People Award” for the Asia-Pacific region. Sweeping the top awards in all four of these competitions, Incheon International Airport proved once again they are the world’s airport quality leader both in name and in deed.

Category	Best Airport Worldwide	Best Airport in Asia-Pacific	Best Mid-sized Airport	Airport People- selected Airport
1st Place	Incheon	Incheon	Incheon	Asia (Incheon)
2nd Place	Kuala Lumpur	Kuala Lumpur	Singapore	Europe (Southampton)
3rd Place	Singapore	Singapore	Detroit	North America (Halifax)

Earning top scores in 30 out of 34 service factors covering the whole range of airport utilization, Incheon International Airport distinguished itself in terms of comfort and convenience of use of airport facilities, speed of passport procedures, and courtesy of airport staff from check-in to boarding.

In the four areas where Incheon International Airport did not earn the highest evaluation, they received 2nd-place scores very close to those of the winning airports. This well illustrates that in spite of seven short years in operation, Incheon International Airport’s service excellence is not limited to specific areas but spans the entire range of airport service factors.

This achievement is the result of united efforts by some 550 resident organizations and companies who oversee a wide variety of operations at Incheon International Airport, and a testament to their shared determination to provide the world’s highest level of airport service. They include IIAC(Incheon International Airport Corporation), Korea Customs Service, Ministry of Justice (Korea Immigration Service), National Quarantine Station, airlines, partner companies, and others.

In the 2002 ASQ Survey, the first after the airport opened, Incheon International Airport took fifth place in just two areas. Comparing this meager performance with Incheon Internactional Airport’s “best out of 34 categories” scorecard in 2007, one can see how dramatically the level of service provided by the airport’s stakeholders has improved since that time.

Furthermore, in the area of passenger search, control and screening procedures, Incheon International Airport has received praise for bringing previously rigid work attitudes up to world-class standards of service. IIAC introduced a new service-oriented mindset to improve staff courtesy in areas prone to passenger conflicts, so that in addition to airport facilities and convenience facilities, they also dominated the service-related parameters of the survey, such as “airport staff courtesy & helpfulness,” “security personnel courtesy,” “passport & visa checks,” “customs inspections,” “boarding staff efficiency,” and “boarding staff courtesy & helpfulness.”

Utilizing advanced Information & Bio-Technology and an expert staff, the Incheon Airport Immigration Office introduced the “U-Immigration” system which has dramatically shortened processing times for arriving passengers, eliminated “departure cards” for Korean nationals, and streamlined procedures for departing and arriving tour group passengers. Along with these innovations, the revolutionary Korea Immigration Smart Service (KISS) has greatly simplified the arrival & departure process through prompt deployment of passport inspection teams and operation of an integrated immigration center.

Incheon Airport Customs operates 24 hours a day, thereby eliminating overtime clearance charges and reducing the time required to clear imports & exports from two to three days down to one day. Other measures that have significantly streamlined customs clearance include selective screening of 2% of travelers most likely to be carrying smuggled or taxable items, elimination of the notification requirement for transporting used golf clubs, integration of quarantine operations, and a deferred payment system for customs duties.

In February 2004, IIAC introduced the world’s first “Passenger Forecast System,” a statistical forecasting tool that has enabled them to raise service quality to the next level. By providing highly reliable forecasting data on the number of airport users by time of day and by location within the Passenger Terminal, this system allows Incheon International Airport to flexibly dispatch service-related personnel when and where they are needed, thereby avoiding decreased service levels caused by airport overcrowding.

Since 2007, Incheon International Airport has provided mobile check-in, self check-in, and other advanced boarding systems so that passengers can access flight-related and other necessary information anywhere and anytime via mobile phone, thus creating a truly ubiquitous environment and maximizing convenience for airport users.

In July 2005, IIAC’s efforts to improve airport service levels received a major boost with the appointment of Mr. Jaehee Lee as president and CEO. Following his inauguration, President Lee set forth a clear vision for Incheon International Airport to become the world’s best airport service provider and outlined a “Customer Service (CS) Management Roadmap,” based on which a “CS Management System” was to be created to pursue customer service improvements in all areas of operations.

Toward this end, they implemented a 365-days-a-year monitoring system for service-related facilities, staff and systems, initiated service education programs, and adopted an integrated system to drive service improvements and innovations. They also expanded their existing “Voice of the Customer” platform to identify problem areas and solicit a diverse range of suggestions, and established various opinion-gathering channels in order to preempt customer complaints. Through these steps, they created CS systems that have made Incheon International Airport more open, responsive, and in tune with their customers and their needs. In addition, IIAC created self-evaluation systems for their entire range of services, thus establishing a mechanism for realizing service innovation through pre-inspections and service upgrades. At the same time, they are working at various levels to strengthen teamwork with fellow airport organizations. Among these efforts are year-round customer satisfaction education & training programs, including “Airport Partners Combined CS Education” and “Service Worksite Education” courses provided at their CS Academy.

It is their belief that customer satisfaction ultimately begins with the satisfaction of airport staff, both their own and that of other airport agencies and companies. Thus they seek to enhance staff working conditions, including the construction of an employee lounge for comfort and relaxation, and pursue schemes aimed at ensuring job stability for staff of their partner companies. Along with these efforts, IIAC holds annual events geared toward fostering team spirit and unity, such as the Airport Family Festival, the Spring Festival. The result of this system of omnidirectional innovation has been a dramatic improvement in what can be described as an airport’s core function; namely, the immigration process. Indeed, Incheon Internactional Airport has streamlined such procedures well beyond international guidelines.

Not satisfied to rest on the laurels of their past achievements, Incheon Internactional Airport looks boldly ahead to becoming a world-class mega hub airport with the completion of second-phase expansion expected in June 2008. Construction of the additional concourse and runway heralds an era of 50 million passengers and five million tons of cargo per year and equip Korea the world’s most advanced “airport hardware.” Along with this physical expansion, they also plan to integrate cutting-edge Information Technology & Bio-Technology to create a ubiquitous environment providing fast and convenient not-stop service, and introduce “Airstar,” a revolutionary new concept in airport shopping where the customer is the “star attraction.” Transit passengers will enjoy the ultimate in convenience, rest & relaxation facilities in the Passenger Terminal and Concourse, while along the airport access road will be a huge landscaped area portraying the four seasons and a massive landmark embodying the vision of Incheon International Airport. Additionally, here and there around the airport’s terminal and concourse, visitors will be treated to traditional Korean and various international cultural & artistic performances all year round, with artworks exhibited along corridors giving an insight into the Korean heart and character. Providing satisfaction, calmness and enjoyment, Incheon International Airport will become a “Cultureport” of the future.

They expect that after their 2nd-phase grand opening, Incheon International Airport will deliver to visitors a new level of satisfaction and value never experienced at any other airport in the world.

President Jaehee Lee explains, “We are not satisfied with our past three consecutive No.1 rankings in the ASQ Survey. That achievement was possible thanks to the teamwork of some 35,000 airport people who did their utmost to improve customer-oriented service to the highest standards in the world.” But he is confident that Incheon International Airport will maintain its industry-leading position. “With our 2nd-stage grand opening, Incheon International Airport will show the world a whole new paradigm in airports, and we will earn the highest praise from our customers.”