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Tag: Incheon International airport

  • Incheon Airport to add AI to security systems

    Incheon Airport to add AI to security systems

    Never mind airport security, artificial intelligence (AI) may also be rooting through your luggage in the near future at Incheon International Airport. Incheon International Airport Corporation said Wednesday it will incorporate AI into its security systems in a bid to improve accuracy in screening passenger luggage for prohibited items.

    The airport has already started working on the project to develop an AI-based X-ray screening system to be tested in the second half of next year.

    Instead of the existing system that relies on X-ray scanning, manual image checking by security officers and a final physical check, artificial intelligence will crosscheck the X-ray scan and the analysis will be available to officers along with the X-ray image.

    The first-stage AI scan is expected to complement and improve the accuracy of the security check as an officer will continue to be responsible for the final call to physically inspect luggage.

    The airport said it will apply deep-learning technology on over 600,000 pieces of footage of around 20 prohibited items and 20,000 commercially sold liquid products to develop an algorithm for imagery interpretation and improve the AI’s screening accuracy.

    The development project is expected to take two years overall, with a proof-of-concept system to take 10 months to develop.

    “By preemptively incorporating AI technology into security, [we] will strengthen airline security and plan to provide a safer and more convenient environment for passengers,” said Chung Il-young, CEO of Incheon International Airport Corporation.

    This will be the country’s first large-scale practical application of the technology, according to the airport.

    It is part of broader efforts to introduce a “Smart Security System” with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

    The airport is also planning to introduce a tunnel security search system, the first of its kind, which will allow passengers to simply go through security checks by walking through a tunnel.

    The airport screened around 60 million pieces of luggage last year through the conventional X-ray system and found 3 million prohibited items such as firearms and swords.

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  • Incheon Airport tests an unmanned shuttle service

    Incheon Airport tests an unmanned shuttle service

    Incheon International Airport said Sunday that it has successfully tested a self-driving shuttle bus becoming the first Korean airport to do so. The test took place inside its long-term parking lot on Friday, where a driverless bus ran 2.2 kilometers at a speed of 30 kph.

    “The test route has lots of curved lanes and is frequently interrupted by other cars … We have seen that autonomous driving is possible,” the airport said.

    The shuttle bus used in the test has been developed by Korean companies, including KT and Unmanned Solution. It is the country’s first driverless vehicle to obtain a temporary driving license. Last month, the airport signed a memorandum of understanding with KT to cooperate in autonomous driving. It plans to introduce a detailed plan for various self-driving car services.

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  • Revenues up, profit down for Shilla Duty Free

    Revenues up, profit down for Shilla Duty Free

    The Shilla Duty Free has posted a 29 per cent year-on-year rise in second-quarter revenues for its Korean downtown stores, rebounding from the MERS-ravaged tourism sector at the same time last year.

    Downtown store revenue climbed to KW538.2 billion (US$473.6 million) for the quarter, with growth outstripping the 23.5 per cent increase in the total Korean duty-free market, especially with higher competition after the government issued more licences last year.

    However, Korean airport sales fell 19.2 per cent to KW198 billion, driven by a downturn in Incheon International Airport revenues because of reduced floor space.

    Overseas duty-free revenues (mainly Singapore’s Changi Airport and Macau International Airport) rose by 16.3 per cent year-on-year to KW121.3 billion. However, Shilla posted a KW12.3 billion operating loss on its overseas stores, mainly because of the high cost of entry at Changi. This hit overall profits, which fell 51.4 per cent to KW15.4 billion. Even the Korean downtown business fell 39 per cent to KW27.7 billion.

    A factor in that decline has been the rocketing costs of commissions to Chinese travel retail agents – up from between 7 and 100 per cent to around 23 per cent, according to The Moodie Davitt Report.

    The Shilla Duty Free is the key revenue and profits contributor to parent Hotel Shilla, whose consolidated revenues rose 13 per cent year-on-year to KW954.1 billion, while operating profits fell 36.04 per cent to KW18.7 billion.

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  • Paul & Shark makes Korea debut launch inside Incheon

    Paul & Shark makes Korea debut launch inside Incheon

    Paul & Shark will launch its first store in South Korea with a new point of sale opening at Incheon International airport with Lotte Duty Free, and will also open its first personalised boutique onboard cruiseship Costa Fortuna.

    “Our new opening in Incheon will enable us to enjoy truly spectacular visibility for the brand. Along with the Lotte store we have another two openings planned in Seoul by the first quarter of 2016, giving Paul & Shark a very strong foot-print in the South Korean travel-retail market. These openings are both downtown duty-free – one with Donghwa and another with SM Duty Free.”Both stores will make its inaugurate launch next month. “We are so excited about these two projects,” said Paul & Shark Worldwide Travel Retail director Catherine Bonelli. “The Costa Fortuna is a beautiful ship and to have our own standalone boutique onboard is a real coup. Opening in December in the run up to Christmas could not be better timing and we’re expecting really good sell-through during the month.

    This continues a trend that has seen a 55% increase in openings for Paul & Shark over the past 18 months, of which Bonelli said around half were located in airports and the rest with cruiselines and downtown duty-free stores.

    After coming back from a busy TFWA World Exhibition last month, Bonelli sees a rosy future next year. She added that openings in 2016 were earmarked at Pudong terminal one in partnership with King Power Orient; Hong Kong International airport with Lagardère Travel Retail, and Houston with ATU-Heinemann.

    Speaking of last month’s TFWA, she added: “Cannes, with our new stand, was an incredibly busy and successful week for us with head to head appointments all week,” said Bonelli. “Our personalised embroidery service was again a particular talking point and has become a real stand-out highlight for us.

    “It’s been an incredibly busy and hardworking year for the Travel Retail team but the effort is certainly paying off and we are being rewarded with superb locations for the brand. We are confident that 2016 will be another exceptional year for us, as retailers continue to understand and realise the business potential of partnering with Paul & Shark.

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