Incheon International Airport Corporation’s Fast Travel program is elevating the customer experience and optimising efficiency, with the aim of providing seamless hands-free travel throughout the whole journey. In this video interview, following his participation at FTE APEX Asia Expo 2024, Soonil Hwang, Deputy Director, Fast Travel Team, Incheon International Airport Corporation, shares how Incheon has analysed the demands of customers and drawn a “Journey Map” to help transform CX, the airport’s exploration of robotics and Artificial Intelligence technologies, cooperation with startups, and more.
“We identified how values like ‘Time’, ‘Convenient Journey’, and ‘Easy’ elevate the customer experience,” Hwang explains. “Therefore, the Fast Travel Team at Incheon Airport has installed self-service check-in and bag drop, as well as automated and biometric-enabled e-gates. Future plans include connecting separated services in order to facilitate truly seamless hands-free travel with ‘One ID’ by cooperating with other airports and industry stakeholders.”
Incheon has identified robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies as key to enhancing the passenger experience and optimising operational efficiency. It has cooperated with startups and other relevant organisations to conduct Proof of Concepts in the areas of robotics and AI. “As of now, we are in the process of making a decision on which areas, or fields, would be suitable for launching as official services,” says Hwang. “For instance, ‘AI humans’ will be stationed at the information desk in the airport, helping with passenger wayfinding and providing relevant information about the airport.”
Incheon Airport among winners at FTE APAC Pioneer Awards 2024
Incheon Airport was recognised in the FTE APAC Pioneer Awards 2024 – which took place as part of FTE APEX Asia Expo in Singapore on 19-20 November 2024 – for its pioneering approach to baggage transformation. Incheon is participating in the groundbreaking BOOST initiative designed to transform the future of baggage handling through robotics and automation, which has been developed in partnership with Future Travel Experience via the Baggage Innovation Working Group (BIWG). Each airport partner in BOOST will tackle a specific technical challenge in automating the baggage process – Incheon is demonstrating an odd-sized baggage handling concept by utilising Doosan Robotics to automate the handling of irregularly sized and heavy baggage, classifying and transporting to each terminal building. This will alleviate the workload for baggage handlers and enhance operational efficiency. Each core member of BOOST will work on a unique technical challenge, conducting onsite Proof of Concepts (POCs) to test robotics and other technologies. Information and insights from these POCs will be shared with the other core partners, and the wider BIWG community on a regular basis, allowing all to benefit from multiple tests without having to execute them independently. This collaborative approach aims to speed up the innovation process across all participating airports.
Incheon is also notable for its Extended Reality (XR) Metaverse, which provides an indoor wayfinding service based on 3D spatial data and Augmented Reality technology.
Learn more about BOOST and the FTE Accelerating Collaboration & Engagement platform >> Learn more about the FTE Baggage Innovation Working Group >>Mark your diary for FTE’s upcoming events
- FTE Community Days, Orlando, 11-12 February 2025
- FTE World Innovation Summit, Pittsburgh, 13-15 May 2025
- APEX FTE EMEA / Ancillary & Retailing, Dublin, 10-12 June 2025
- FTE Global, co-located with APEX/IFSA Global EXPO, Long Beach, 9-11 September 2025
- APEX FTE Asia Expo, Singapore, 11-12 November 2025
