South Korea's transportation ministry is considering lifting the curfew for arrivals at Incheon International Airport, the main gateway to the country, from July at the earliest, as part of efforts to return to pre-pandemic normalcy, sources said Tuesday.

Currently, there are no arrival flights allowed at Incheon Airport from 8 p.m. until 5 a.m.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in April that the pre-pandemic returns at Incheon International Airport may be considered after the coronavirus pandemic becomes endemic.

With the normalized operating hours, Incheon International Airport will be able to accommodate about 40 arrival flights per hour, close to the pre-pandemic level.

In April, the transportation ministry said it will help restore the number of inbound and outbound international flights to 50 percent of the 2019 level by the year's end to meet pent-up travel demand amid eased virus curbs.

In April, the country allowed fully vaccinated travelers from all countries to enter without quarantine in line with eased virus restrictions.

The ministry's plan also came as soaring demand for overseas travels amid fewer flights has caused a sharp rise in ticket prices. (Yonhap)