Departure
95%
vs 95% ▼ 1
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Incheon International Airport is South Korea's principal international gateway, sited on reclaimed land linking the former islands of Yeongjong and Yongyu west of Seoul. For the simulator pilot it offers a pair of very long instrument runways, full ILS coverage and a busy, highly structured airspace environment typical of a major East Asian hub.
Incheon International Airport (ICAO: RKSI, IATA: ICN) serves the Seoul metropolitan area and is one of the busiest airports in the world, acting as the principal hub for Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air and Polar Air Cargo, among others. It opened for business on 29 March 2001, taking over international traffic from the older Gimpo International Airport. For a virtual pilot it is a rewarding destination: a vast, modern facility with parallel long-range runways, full precision approach aids and the operational complexity of a top-tier international hub.
The airport lies on reclaimed land between the former islands of Yeongjong and Yongyu, within Yeongjong-gu, an administrative district of Incheon, roughly 48 km (30 mi) west of central Seoul. As a major international hub it sits within controlled airspace with radar approach and departure services provided by Seoul Approach and Seoul Departure.
Incheon has two physical parallel runways, both hard-surfaced (asphalt/concrete), lit and equipped with ILS. One runway, identified as 15R/33L, is 12,316 ft long; the other, 15L/33R, is approximately 12,310-12,311 ft long. Both are amongst the longest runways in commercial service, reflecting the airport's role as a long-haul international hub.
Seoul Approach controls arrivals and departures on 120.8 MHz, with Seoul Departure on 121.35 MHz. The tower operates on 118.2 MHz, ground movement on 121.4 MHz, clearance delivery on 121 MHz, and ramp control on 121.65 MHz. The airport ATIS broadcasts on 23.025 MHz. All runways are served by ILS for precision instrument approaches.
Construction of Incheon International Airport began in November 1992 on reclaimed land between Yeongjong and Yongyu Islands, a project driven by the need to relieve pressure on Gimpo International Airport following a surge in international air traffic after the 1988 Summer Olympics. The project took eight years to build plus a further six months of testing, with completion delayed from an original 1997 target by the Asian economic crisis. The airport officially opened on 21 March 2001. In November 2006 an Airbus A380 landed at Incheon as part of its certification trials, confirming the airport's runways, taxiways and ramps could handle the type. A second phase of construction, including a third parallel runway, was accelerated to be ready ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and completed in June 2008.
Incheon continues to operate as the main international airport for Seoul and a major hub for Northeast Asian air traffic, handling both passenger and substantial cargo operations for carriers including Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jeju Air and Polar Air Cargo. The airport comprises 111 boarding gates across two terminals and a connected concourse.
