Why South Korea is building a new airport to replace a major hub

Countries & Cities · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Gimhae International Airport serves Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city, but it has hit a critical wall. Surrounded by mountains and constrained by military operations, the facility is now operating beyond its design capacity. As passenger demand surges, authorities are turning to a new location on Gadeokdo to solve the problem.

Opened in August 1976, Gimhae International Airport replaced the city's older aviation facility to become the primary gateway for Busan. Over the decades, it evolved into a vital hub for carriers like Air Busan and Korean Air, while also serving as an operating base for Jeju Air and Jin Air. By 2018, the airport handled over 17 million passengers annually, reflecting its importance to the region's connectivity. Its infrastructure expanded significantly over time, including the completion of a new domestic terminal in May 1983 and an international terminal in October 2007, the latter inaugurated by President Roh Moo-hyun.

Despite these expansions, the airport faces unique physical and operational limitations. It is situated on the western edge of Busan and is hemmed in by mountains and urban development, leaving little room for the physical growth required to accommodate modern traffic levels. Furthermore, the airport functions as a shared space with the military. One of its two runways, 18L/36R, is currently restricted to military use at Gimhae Air Base, though officials have discussed opening it to commercial airliners to alleviate congestion. Due to these security requirements, photography and video recording of the apron, runways, and military installations are strictly prohibited.

The airport's history is marked by shifting international ambitions. In October 1992, Korean Air established a route to Honolulu, and in April 2002, Northwest Airlines began connecting Busan to the United States via Tokyo’s Narita Airport. Lufthansa later bridged the gap to Europe in March 2007 with a service to Munich via Seoul. However, these international links proved volatile; Delta Air Lines ended the Tokyo connection in May 2012 following its merger with Northwest, and Lufthansa ceased its Busan operations in March 2014. Today, the facility remains accessible via the Busan-Gimhae Light Rail Transit, but the long-term solution to its capacity crisis lies in the ongoing construction of a new airport on Gadeokdo.

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