Cargo volumes at Incheon International Airport grew 6.7 per cent in July to 248,905 tonnes, with a large rise in inbound traffic.

International inbound volumes were up 9.5 per cent to 121,455 tonnes while outbound traffic increased 3.9 per cent to 118,941 tonnes, with transhipments also rising 11.2 per cent to 95,056 tonnes.

A major driver of growth was rising demand for semiconductor production equipment and IT industry parts on the back of the IT industry booming.

Most regions of the world saw growth, with Northeast Asia leading the way at 11 per cent to 26,855 tonnes, followed by Southeast Asia, up 10.7 per cent to 39,725 tonnes.

China dipped by 2.2 per cent to 43,599 tonnes due to more stringent steps taken for customs clearance by Chinese authorities in connection with the deployment of THAAD in South Korea, and the Middle East was also down by 3.4 per cent to 5,900 tonnes.

Incheon has also made a number of improvements to facilities including replacing 2,966 lights with LED lights to improve brightness and reduce electricity bills.

Other improvements include adding ping pong tables in Cargo Terminal C, remodelling the women’s lounge in Cargo Agent C, and improving nine truck docks in Cargo Terminal C to speed up cargo handling.

The airport plans to upgrade amenities in the Cargo Terminal with a convenience store, a lounge and rest room, to be completed by early November, as well as improving the traffic system at South Cargo Terminal.