KAC sets global standards for airport operations

Managing some of the world's best airports is a feat that Korea Airports Corporation (KAC) is fast gaining world recognition for. The Air Transport Research Society has named three of the 14 airports that KAC operates across South Korea as the most efficient in Asia in 2014. These include Gimhae International Airport in the No 1 slot, followed by Jeju International Airport.

Ranking fifth in the tally, KAC's Gimpo International Airport has also been making waves globally in the area of customer satisfaction. For five consecutive years since 2010, the Airports Council International has named Gimpo as the world's best airport in terms of service quality for the medium-size airport category. Located only 20 minutes from downtown Seoul, passengers can travel from the city centre to the airport at a surprisingly low fare of US$1 while airlines can enjoy the airport's lower landing and usage fees compared with other Asian airports. Gimpo also applies state-of-the-art technology such as baggage tracking system and mobile check-in application to enable passengers to complete the departure process in only 10 minutes. 

"We've achieved the difficult task of improving operational efficiency without compromising on service quality," says Kim Seok-ki, KAC president and CEO. "We continuously build on our best experiences in airport management to optimise the functionality of South Korean airports." 

Since its establishment in 1980, the company has been focusing on airport construction and management, overseeing seven international and seven domestic airports nationwide. KAC is also a global leader in developing air navigation and flight information systems, and offers its consulting services overseas to cover areas such as global airport operation, architecture and engineering, and aviation training and education. 

"Airports should go beyond their traditional role of transporting people and goods," Kim says. We're providing passengers with a new experience by creating an innovative approach that combines culture with business." 

This is the concept behind KAC's "Vision 2020: A World-class Airports Corporation Creating Biz and Life". Gimpo showcases this commitment by incorporating a shopping complex with a department store, cinemas, parking space for 5,000 cars and a golf driving range.