(Yonhap/KPL)  Republic of Korea's Incheon International Airport ranked third in international passenger traffic last year, its highest ranking since opening in 2001, the airport's operator said Sunday.

The country's main airport, located about 45 kilometers west of Seoul in Incheon, previously ranked seventh in 2023 and fifth in both 2018 and 2019, the Incheon International Airport Corp. (IIAC) said in a press release.

In 2024, a total of 70.67 million passengers used international routes via Incheon Airport, up 26.7 percent from the previous year, the release said, citing data from Airports Council International (ACI).

"Outbound travelers sharply increased during the summer peak season, Thanksgiving, and year-end holidays. Passenger traffic also surged on short-haul routes to Japan and other Asian destinations due to the yen's weakness and the dollar's strength," the IIAC said.

Dubai International Airport and London Heathrow Airport ranked first and second, respectively, with 92.33 million and 79.19 million international passengers, according to ACI data.

The IIAC expects international passenger traffic at Incheon airport to reach between 73 million and 77 million this year, boosted by a record 98 air carriers now offering flights to the hub.

Incheon airport also maintained its third-place ranking in terms of international cargo volume last year.

Its international air cargo traffic rose 7.4 percent on-year to 2.9 million tons, following that of Hong Kong's international airport at 4.9 million tons and Shanghai at 3 million tons, the release added.

KPL