Travelers crowd the duty free area at Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport, Friday, the day before the Chuseok long weekend begins. Yonhap

Incheon International Airport is preparing for an unprecedented influx of travelers during the Chuseok holiday, with daily passenger numbers projected to reach record levels.

From Friday to Sept. 18, the airport expects an average of 201,000 passengers each day, totaling 1.204 million over the six-day period. This estimate is expected to be the all-time record high for airport users during Chuseok.

The previous record was an average of 187,000 people per day during Chuseok 2017, and this year's estimate surpasses this previous record by about 7 percent. The anticipated figures also mark an 11.6 percent increase from last year's Chuseok and an 11.8 percent rise compared to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The busiest day is expected to be Sept. 18, with 213,000 travelers. The highest number of outbound travelers is predicted for Saturday, with 121,000.

Other Korean airports are also gearing up for a busy holiday period.

According to the Korea Airports Corp., airports nationwide are set to handle some 1.47 million travelers (1.12 million domestic and 350,000 international) over the holiday.

A total of 8,314 flights (6,322 domestic and 1,992 international) are scheduled to operate during the holiday, averaging 1,386 per day — up 2.8 percent from last year.

Gimpo and Gimhae airports are expected to see the highest departure numbers on Saturday, while Jeju International Airport will be at its busiest on Sept. 18.

To accommodate the increased traffic, Incheon International Airport Corp. urged passengers to utilize public transportation and smart services. Additionally, in line with government measures to ensure a smooth holiday travel experience, 14 airports nationwide will offer free parking for domestic travelers during the holiday.

"We are making every effort to ensure that travelers have a comfortable and convenient experience over Chuseok," Incheon International Airport Corp. President Lee Hag-jae said. "We appreciate everyone's cooperation in using public transportation and the available smart services to ease congestion."