JANUARY 2018 NEWS

Korean Air ready for relocating to Incheon Terminal 2 from January 18, 2018

Incheon Airport Passenger Terminal 2 (T2) will officially open on January 18, 2018 - a quantum leap for the Korean Aviation industry.

Korean Air, the nation’s largest flagship carrier, will relocate its operations from T1 to T2 on the day of the opening and welcome passengers with an automated and innovative airport service. A total of four will operate out of T2 - Korean Air, Delta Air Lines, Air France and KLM – all members of SkyTeam. Commencing January 18, all passengers using these airlines must go to T2 for check-in and their flight, instead of T1.

The grand opening of T2 means not only an additional passenger terminal but also a milestone in the Korean Aviation industry to increase the international competitiveness.

Thanks to T2’s cutting-edge technology, an eco-friendly architectural design and many other convenient passenger facilities, Incheon will strengthen its position as a main hub in Northeast Asia. In addition, T2 has been designed to eradicate problems that occurred in T1, and T2 is a benchmark for successful world-class .

Korean Air, a key of T2, will provide customers with extraordinary service, working in cooperation with other SkyTeam airlines to seek ways to attract transit passengers, such as the Joint Venture with Delta Air Lines. In this regard, the opening of T2 is an important opportunity to enhance the competitiveness of Incheon Airport and the Korean Aviation industry.

■ Exclusive terminal for SkyTeam to ensure fast and seamless experience Passengers of the four airlines (Korean Air, Delta Air Lines, Air France, and KLM) must depart and arrive at T2 from January 18 and it is essential that the road signage for T2 is followed by all passengers driving to the airport. When using public transportation, it is necessary to check the right terminal. Even though there is a shuttle service between T1 and T2, it takes at least 20 minutes moving between the terminals.

※ Reference: Traffic Information of Incheon 1, 2

The four airlines moving into T2 are some of the most important SkyTeam members. Airline alliances always strive for consistent and seamless customer service between their members and T2, being exclusive to SkyTeam, is able to provide their frequent flyers with this consistency, including check-in, lounge, boarding and a reduced transit time.

The new terminal will enable passengers of the four airlines, including Korean Air, to experience a more convenient and transformed airport service. Korean Air has fully participated in the construction of T2, from design and planning, bringing their expertise in airport operation.

Korean Air has increased the number of check-in kiosks and automated bag-drop machines at T2. In addition, T2 has an approximately 2.4 times wider space in the customer waiting room, security check and check-in counters for transit passengers, than in T1.

T1 has sometimes struggled with operating multiple security checks and services; In T2 these are centralized into two sections for a more efficient system. Terminal 2 will also introduce 24 of the newest screening devices, which will enhance the security process and save time. The technology in this terminal ensures passengers’ check-in, immigration and transit time is significantly shorter than before - Incheon Airport analyzes that it will reduce by up to 20 minutes compared to T1.

To shorten passengers’ waiting time for their checked luggage, a high-speed system to transport has been deployed in T2 and the design of the has been modified to an upward conveyor type and unlike the downward slope type, it will hopefully prevent baggage damage.

Meanwhile, the access to the airport will be more convenient than before. The transportation center 2, where public transportation facilities such as the bus and airport train are in one building, is located right beside T2. Passengers do not have a long walk to get a bus or train as the distance has been shortened from 233m to 59m, compared to T1.

■ Special service for High Class Passengers The exclusive check-in facilities for high-class passengers will be available at T2, which cannot experience at other Korean Airports. At T2, Korean Air will welcome passengers at a new ‘Premium check-in Lounge’; Prestige Class passengers and frequent flyers such as Million Miler Club and Morning Calm Premium members will be welcomed at ‘Premium Check-in Counters’.

The Premium check-in Lounge will serve First Class passengers with a one-stop concierge service, including check-in, baggage check, immigration information, and even welcome drinks. Prestige Class passengers and Million Miler Club, Morning Calm Premium members will check- in at Premium check-in counters in a separate space.

After the check-in procedure, customers will enjoy an extraordinary experience at the newly opened Lounges. A luxurious lounge with only 30 seats is ready to welcome First Class passengers, and west and east located lounges with 400 seats and 200 seats each will provide a haven where Prestige Class passengers can relax and wait for their flights. In addition, a lounge exclusively for Korean Air high milers, including Million Miler Club and Morning Calm Premium members, will open separately to further enhance the service for Korean Air Premium customers.

■ Smarter and more convenient… Environmental-friendly design to be noticed

T2, which aims to be fully Smart Airport, will introduce various high-tech IT services sequentially after its opening.

‘Location-based service’ is a newly launched service, which will work with passengers’ smartphones to provide useful information to passengers based on their actual location. When, for example, a passenger is close to the departure , useful information will automatically show up on their phone, such as their , location of the lounge, flight time etc. In addition, customized services based on an individual’s preference will also be available in the future.

Another noticeable addition is upgraded kiosks. Whilst current kiosks in T1 can only issue boarding passes, in the new terminal it will also be possible to print out baggage tags. This will save time and the hassle of visiting separate counters to check-in baggage. Other smart technologies, such as guidance robots and flight information display system (FIDS) that provides two-way information, will further enhance the information delivery process.

T2’s environment-friendly design will also be an attractive point for visiting passengers. Adapting highly-efficient technology such as natural lighting, natural ventilation and renewable energy, will save about 40% of energy compared with T1. There are also large-scale indoor gardens to provide relaxation spaces for airport users.

There are other attractive places to visit for passengers in T2! Connecting passenger facility at T2 is equipped with sleeping boxes and a space to enjoy sport or games. There is an observatory to view the runways and aircraft. The ‘Great Hall’, which is a large performance hall, is designed to hold various kinds of cultural performances. There is also a media wall and rest areas, including a family lounge and facilities for the disabled and elderly.

■ Korean Air and Delta Air Lines trans-Pacific Joint Venture creates a synergy effect with T2

Other than the fact that its opening date has approached, why are people noticing Incheon Airport’s T2 so much? One of the answers can be drawn from Korean Air and Delta Air Line’s trans-Pacific joint venture and the reason is as follows.

The most important factor to consider for a transiting passenger is the total traveling time. Less travel time means stronger competitiveness for an airport. T2 has formed a transfer cluster by laying out transit facilities near to each other, resulting in a very efficient transfer process. T2 is an exclusive terminal for SkyTeam, an that by its very nature will have many transfer passengers. No need to mention that it becomes much easier for passengers to transfer between airlines at T2.

When the joint venture is in effect, schedules and routes will be diversified and the number of passengers who want to travel via Korea will rise, followed by increased flights, reduced transfer time and a unified service. Furthermore, Korean Air’s Pacific and Southeast Asian route network, combined with Delta Air Line’s US route network, will bring a huge increase in transfer passengers. The move to Incheon Airport’s T2 will maximize this synergy effect.

There is also a chance that Incheon Airport will absorb demand from nearby hub-airports. There is a past example when two pairs of airlines, and All Nippon Airways and American Airlines and Airlines implemented a trans-Pacific Joint Venture where significant amount of transfer demands headed to Japan, which could have been attracted to Incheon Airport.

Korean Air and Delta Air Line’s trans-Pacific Joint venture, combined with Incheon Airport’s T2, will be a major power to strengthen the competitiveness of Korea’s aviation industry.

■ Problems such as lack of traffic signage and Fast Track service are noticed… improvement should be made soon Of course, there are some problems that are being exposed. The most pressing one is a problem with roads and traffic signage to T2.

T1 and T2 are 15~18.5km apart from each other. When there is more than one terminal in an airport, there is always a chance that the passenger goes to the wrong terminal. It takes about 20~30 minutes to move between terminals and if this happens the passenger might miss their flight. Therefore, passengers need to be informed precisely which terminal they must head to.

For this reason the Incheon Airport Corporation and the affected airlines have requested that each airline’s name be listed underneath the traffic signs on the access road, such as “Korean Air” and “Asiana”. The airline names - Korean Air, Delta Air Lines, Air France and KLM – are displayed in T2’s signage but visibility is low and there is still a high chance of passengers making a mistake.

Aviation professionals have pointed out that each terminal’s airlines should be listed with high visibility through traffic signage as at other major worldwide airports, such as , , and Singapore do. In this way, the number of passengers going to wrong terminal will be reduced.

Additionally, a decision about Fast Track service has to be made. Fast Track is a service provided to Premium customers and passengers for a separate line, with smaller queues, to pass through immigration. This recently became one of the crucial factors for airport assessment.

Incheon Airport is the only airport which does not implement Fast Track service among 20 top airports in the world, while adjacent competing airports including , Hong Kong, Singapore, and Narita all have a Fast Track service which receive favorable comments from passengers. Incheon Airport should also implement this service to boost its competitiveness.

If foreign visitors, who are also Premium passengers, are able to use Fast Track for immigration, Incheon Airport’s global image will be greatly enhanced. As time is a significant factor the speedy introduction of a Fast Track service will be a great support to T2 services. ■ Korean Air, applying its global airline knowledge will settle in T2 as soon as possible

Korean Air not only has experience in participating in Incheon Airport’s cargo terminal, refueling facility and maintenance facility as a private investment project, but also successfully operates Navoi Airport in Uzbekistan.

Based on accumulated airport operating experience, Korean Air will actively support the transfer to T2 and settlement in the terminal. Korean Air is preparing for a full-scale operation, including simulating various situations, from check-in to boarding, ahead of the opening next year. The airline is actively seeking solutions to various problems that may arise in these situations.

The airport’s efficient management is another point for Korean Air to focus on- especially MARS (Multi Aircraft Ramping System) gate, which is adapted for the first time in Korea and will allow smooth management of flight schedules.

MARS gate is a system enabling the management of two compact aircraft (Class C) independently in a space used for one large aircraft (Class E, F). At peak time, MARS gates allow flexible utilization of the gates in order to keep flight time on schedule.

Korean Air will successfully settle in at T2 at Incheon Airport and maximize T2’s strengths, to enhance the passenger’s convenience and increase the number of transfer passengers. By working with other SkyTeam members, the airline will provide a whole new experience for the customers and furthermore contribute to the increase of competitiveness by the Korean aviation industry.

※ Reference

About Korean Air Korean Air, is one of the world's top 20 airlines and carried more than 26 million passengers in 2016. Korean Air operates over 460 flights per day to 124 cities in 43 countries on six continents with a fleet of 175 aircraft including ten A380s.

With its modern aircraft and over 20,000 professional employees, Korean Air offers customers convenience and comfort. Korean Air’s award-winning offerings of Korean and international meals and state-of-the-art inflight entertainment system provide passengers with a memorable inflight experience.

The airline is a founding member of the Sky Team airline alliance, which together with its 20 members, offers its 730 million annual passengers a worldwide system of more than 16,609 daily flights covering 1,074 destinations in 177 countries.

Korean Air introduced the double-decker A380 aircraft to its fleet in 2011 and made the interior more spacious than any other airline, with just 407 seats spread across three classes, with the top deck dedicated to ‘Prestige’ business class. The design also features the world’s first onboard ‘Duty Free Showcase’ and three bar lounges.

More on Korean Air's programs, routes, frequencies and partners is available at www.koreanair.com