Incheon International Airport Corporation is introducing a system that uses artificial intelligence to analyze video footage from aircraft parking stands, enabling real-time prediction of departure readiness and potential delays.
The AI-powered prediction and management of aircraft turnaround times is expected to improve airport operational efficiency while reducing passenger inconvenience.
According to Incheon International Airport Corporation on the 24th, the corporation signed a contract earlier this month for a pilot project to build an "AI Video Analysis System for Aircraft Stands." The core of the project involves real-time AI analysis of CCTV footage installed at more than 10 aircraft stands at Terminal 2 to monitor ground handling progress for each aircraft. Incheon Airport plans to complete the project by December next year.
Currently, while CCTV cameras are installed at aircraft stands, analysis largely depends on manual monitoring. Aircraft departure times are also determined independently by airlines or ground handling companies, limiting the airport corporation's ability to conduct real-time analysis. This has made it difficult to respond proactively when flight delays occur due to discrepancies between actual ground handling conditions and predicted times.
Once the real-time AI video analysis system is implemented, the AI will automatically recognize the progress of ground handling stages including refueling, catering loading, and baggage handling, calculating estimated departure readiness times and potential delay durations for each aircraft in real time. Information will also be shared with airlines and ground handlers, enabling airport-wide proactive responses such as deploying additional personnel or equipment to flights expected to experience delays.
The system is expected to be most effective in improving the efficient operation of aircraft stands, a critical airport resource. When flight delays accumulate, stand turnover rates decline and can lead to cascading delays, but AI prediction can reduce such inefficiencies in advance, officials explained.
Additionally, the system can be used to adjust boarding times for flights with high delay probability or distribute waiting times, which is expected to reduce passenger discomfort from extended waits inside aircraft.
"We can efficiently operate aircraft stands, a key airport resource, through real-time AI analysis of stand operations," an Incheon International Airport Corporation official said. "We can quickly detect flight delay situations and make real-time adjustments based on objective data such as passenger boarding times."
