Incheon International Airport, one of the most highly rated air terminals in the world, has received a poor rating from local users for its expensive restaurants and overland traffic infrastructure, a report showed Tuesday.

Incheon International Airport ranked last among the country's four major international airports checked for the 2014 aviation sector service evaluation, according to the report that the transportation ministry provided to Rep. Byun Jae-il ahead of the annual parliamentary audit of the government.  

The lawmaker's office said that Incheon International Airport scored an average of 76.93 points among the nine categories checked, way below Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul, which got 96.37 points.

Jeju International Airport, on the southernmost resort island of Jeju, came in second with 88.80 points, with Gimhae International Airport in the second-largest city of Busan trailing at 85.72.

Incheon International Airport, one of the largest and busiest airports in Northeast Asia, is located 48 kilometers west of Seoul.

"Incheon's score was mostly affected by high food prices at the airport," the office said. "The airport got low marks in terms of accessibility from major urban hubs, expensive parking fees and courteousness of employees."

The low score comes as a surprise because Incheon International Airport, the main gateway to South Korea, has been rated as one of the best airports in the world by Airports Council International as well as being viewed as one of the world's finest transit hubs by Skytrax since 2005.

ACI is the only global trade representative of the world's airports, while Skytrax provides consultancy on airlines and airports as well as conducting customer reviews.

Rep. Byun of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy pointed out that the practice of engaging in competitive bidding when renting out its shopping spaces and facilities has led to record profits for the airport authority, but such gains have not translated into better service for local users.

"With users' complaints growing, there is a need to rethink the airport's operating process," the lawmaker argued. (Yonhap)