On the occasion of Incheon International Airport’s (ICN) 23rd anniversary, Michael Steen shared remarks with other aviation leaders, all sharing a common commitment to delivering safety, quality and excellence.
“We have enjoyed growing together with ICN Airport for the last 20 years,” said Michael. “In that time, Atlas has expanded its fleet from 20 freighters to 112.”
Michael continued, “As we pursue our vision to be the world leader in outsourced aviation logistics, Atlas now operates in over 300 airports in over 70 countries. In the last year alone, we operated 63,000 flights.”
“To serve this rapidly growing industry, we believe strongly in the capability and the potential growth of ICN as one of the world’s most efficient airports for freighter operations. We value having this critical presence in Korea as they strengthen their competitive position serving the worldwide aviation MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) industry. We also welcome the Korean government’s Open Sky policy, which will serve to further increase the global competitiveness of ICN.”
The Korean government played an integral role in supporting Atlas pilots and maintenance engineers during the pandemic by granting entry permission, allowing the global supply chain to continue moving while the rest of the world came to a halt. Michael specifically extended appreciation to all involved in allowing Atlas to continue on the flight path to success.
Michael also recognized our long-standing partnership with Sharp Technics, a dedicated FAA Certified MRO company located at ICN that provides heavy maintenance services for wide-body aircraft. Together in a joint venture, Atlas and Sharp Technics established the successful ground handling business, AACT (Atlas Air Cargo Terminals), which will expand from two to three terminals in 2026.
“It has been critical for us to secure a strong MRO capability to operate our freighters,” said Michael. “Our partnership with Sharp Technics has enabled us to further streamline maintenance planning with their integrated approach to serving our fleet.”
Further capitalizing on the success Atlas has experienced at ICN, Michael announced construction beginning for a wide body maintenance hangar with four bays. This $120M investment will support Asia-based operations for Atlas, as well as freighter operations, globally.
