South Korea’s Incheon Airport is considering installing additional barriers at airline check-in areas after viral footage of tourists rushing toward check-in counters in what has been described as “mass queue-jumping,” leaving airport staff injured and sparking public worry.
The issue drew widespread attention after a video filmed on July 2 went viral online, showing dozens of passengers surging toward check-in counters for a China-bound flight in the third-floor departure hall of Incheon Airport’s Terminal 1, The Korea Herald reported.
Instead of following the designated queue, the passengers pushed luggage carts through retractable belt barriers arranged in a zigzag pattern, apparently attempting to reach the check-in counters ahead of others.
Yonhap News Agency reported that five similar incidents occurred in July.
Several airline employees were reportedly injured while trying to direct the passengers back in line.
Passengers at Incheon International Airport, South Korea. Photo by AFP |
Airport authorities are considering placing plastic partitions between existing queue barriers to prevent passengers from cutting across the lines. Employees have also stepped up inspections in departure halls to maintain order and protect travellers and staff, Seoul Economic Daily reported.
Officials said they would continue monitoring check-in areas as similar incidents could happen again.
Incheon Airport, ranked the world’s second-best behind Singapore’s Changi in the 2026 Skytrax World Airport Awards, recorded 19.78 million international passengers during the January-March period, the most among 1,234 international airports globally, South Korrea’s Chosun Daily reported, citing data from the Airports Council International (ACI).
China was the largest source of visitors to South Korea so far this year.
Since last year, South Korea has allowed visa-free entry for tour groups of three or more mainland Chinese citizens for stays of up to 15 days.
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