Monday marks the 20th anniversary of Incheon International Airport.

Opened in 2001, the airport began to turn a profit after three years and has grown by an average eight percent annually over the past 16 years.

Passenger traffic plunged more than 80 percent since the COVID-19 outbreak last year, leading to a deficit of 426 billion won. This year, the deficit is expected to increase by more than two-fold, prompting changes to the airport's operations centered on passenger service.

Incheon International Airport plans to develop the surrounding area into a tourist site by attracting cultural facilities, such as a holiday resort on Yeongjong Island, so that travelers can enjoy tourism and the arts within the vicinity of the airport.

Cargo transport is another area that needs to be fostered as Incheon airport ranked fourth globally in terms of international freight last year, despite the pandemic. Plans include a second logistics complex and the renovation of the existing cargo terminal to improve the flow of traffic.

Immigration procedures will also become more digital in today's untact era.

Incheon International Airport Corporation marked the anniversary with a ceremony on Monday and declared its future vision to overcome COVID-19 and achieve a rebound in the aviation sector.