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Passengers at Incheon International Airport are checked for fever before boarding a flight bound for London on May 27. (Baek So-ah, staff photographer)

It was the afternoon of May 27 in front of the boarding gate for Flight KE907 to London at Incheon International Airport’s Terminal 2. Right up until boarding, a small child was alternately lying on the ground and running around, complaining about wearing a face mask. The mother was only able to pass through the gate after assuring airline staff that she would “make sure” the child put their mask on. According to transportation disease control guidelines from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), all passengers on domestic and international airlines were required to wear masks to board the aircraft as of that day.

With a recent increase observed in COVID-19 diagnoses, the measure by disease control authorities was put in place to prevent the virus from spreading at airports and on aircraft amid a rise in the number of flights and passengers. At 1,353,747, the total number of passengers flying domestic and international routes on South Korean airlines last month was down by fully 86.7% from April 2019. But amid the effects of an extended holiday weekend and other factors, the number of airline passengers this month stood at 3,284,080 as of May 27. The number is still down 71% from the same period last year -- but the contrast with last month’s decline has some observers saying the “worst is over.” The number of airport users is expected to grow as of next month as airlines plan to resume their international flights or expand routes.

With its spread throughout the world, the virus has been altering the airport landscape. Jeju Airport requires passengers themselves to scan their boarding pass at the gate and distributes hand sanitizers to everyone boarding. The previous first come, first served approach to boarding was replaced as of May 13 with a system where passengers with a priority boarding pass board first, after which passengers in the rear seats (Row 20 and farther back) are allowed on before the passengers in the front seats finally board. The aim is to minimize contact among passengers. Air Busan is encouraging distancing among passengers by marking 1m intervals on the ground in front of its ticket counters.

Amid efforts to minimize contact, usage of non-interactive airport services has also been increasing. One example is the “video boarding service.” Kwon Dae-yeol, a 39-year-old company employee, was one of the passengers in the domestic departures section of Gimpo International Airport that afternoon. After lowering his mask to show his face and present an ID to an airport employee, he held his palm (veins) near a reader to confirm his identity before boarding his plane to Jeju.

“I registered because once you do, you can board right away without standing in a long line,” he explained.

“If you’re standing in line with other people, that seems like it would increase the risk of infection,” he added.

Introduced last year by the Korea Airports Corporation, the video board service used by just 9% of all passengers on domestic routes last year; since then, it has jumped to 17.1% for the months of January to April this year.

Also drawing notice are distancing practices within cabins. In cases where fewer seats have been reserved, Korean Air and Jeju Air are placing those traveling alone in window or aisle seats and leaving empty rows around groups of three or more passengers to maintain distance among passengers. On international routes, American Airlines and other airlines are leaving middle seats empty altogether.

Steps are also being taken to hasten the introduction of “health passports.” As of June 15, the Greek government plans to only permit entry to passengers carrying a health passport -- an electronic document verifying a negative result in a COVID-19 test -- during the entry review for overseas travelers. Other major European countries such as the UK and Italy are also considering the introduction of health passports. On May 25, the British economic daily Financial Times quoted aviation consultant Andrew Charlton as saying that the health certification “is going to be as important as your visa” when traveling.

By Park Su-ji and Baek So-ah, staff reporters

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