Jeju International Airport

Operations

Jeju International Airport, which opened in 1968, serves many mainland destinations in South Korea, as well as international destinations in mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. In 2015, 26,237,562 passengers used the airport. The airport is one endpoint of the world's busiest airline route, Jeju to/from Seoul-Gimpo. In 2023 over 13.7 million passengers traveled on that route.

Due to the airport operating far beyond its designed passenger capacity, it was announced in 2023 that Jeju's second airport would be constructed in Seongsan-eup, near the southern city of Seogwipo. This US$5.1 billion project has faced significant delays and controversies due to concerns the airport would negatively impact Jeju's groundwater sources, as well as protected species living in the area.

Airlines and destinations

| Aero K | Cheongju | Air Busan | Busan, Seoul–Gimpo, Ulsan | Air China | Beijing–Capital | Air Seoul | Seoul–Gimpo | Asiana Airlines | Cheongju, Daegu, Gwangju, Seoul–Gimpo, Yeosu | Beijing Capital Airlines | Hangzhou | China Eastern Airlines | Shanghai–Pudong | China Southern Airlines | Dalian, Harbin | Eastar Jet | Busan, Cheongju, Gunsan, Seoul–Gimpo, Shanghai–Pudong, Taipei–Taoyuan | HK Express | Hong Kong | Jeju Air | Beijing–Capital, Beijing–Daxing, Busan, Cheongju, Daegu, Gwangju, Hong Kong, Seoul–Gimpo, Xi'an | Jin Air | Busan, Cheongju, Daegu, Gunsan, Gwangju, Muan, Pohang–Gyeongju, Seoul–Gimpo, Shanghai–Pudong, Taipei–Taoyuan, Ulsan, Wonju, Yeosu Seasonal: Xi'an | Juneyao Air | Nanjing, Shanghai–Pudong, Wuxi | Korean Air | Beijing–Capital, Busan, Cheongju, Daegu, Gwangju, Sacheon, Seoul–Gimpo, Tokyo–Narita, Ulsan, Yeosu | Loong Air | Hangzhou | Parata Air | Seoul–Gimpo, Yangyang | Philippine Airlines | Seasonal charter: Manila | Qingdao Airlines | Qingdao | Scoot | Singapore | Shenzhen Airlines | Shenzhen | Spring Airlines | Beijing–Daxing, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Ningbo, Shanghai–Pudong, Shenyang, Tianjin | Tigerair Taiwan | Kaohsiung, Taichung, Taipei–Taoyuan | T'way Air | Cheongju, Daegu, Gwangju, Kaohsiung, Osaka–Kansai, Seoul–Gimpo, Singapore, Taipei–Taoyuan | West Air | Zhengzhou | XiamenAir | Fuzhou

Traffic and statistics

Due to the popularity of Jeju as a holiday spot in South Korea, the air route from Jeju to Seoul is the busiest airline route in the world. In 2019, there were 85,000 flights from eight different airlines, meanwhile, 17 million seats were sold on flights between Gimpo and Jeju.

As Jeju has gained popularity as a resort destination, the number of international visitors from China, Malaysia, Thailand, and Japan has increased. In 1997, Jeju airport handled nine million passengers. In 2019, the airport passed the 30 million milestone despite being designed to handle a maximum of 26 million passengers. In 2020, the number of international visitors dropped due to COVID-19. However, the Seoul-Jeju route remained the busiest in the world and flight delays are still common.

In 2019, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport announced a US$4.18 billion construction plan that would begin in 2021 near Seogwipo City in southern Jeju. The airport would take 50% of the domestic flights to Jeju and would help to transfer flights during bad weather. The airport would accommodate 18.98 million passengers per year. However, in 2021 the Ministry of Environment cancelled the plans due to their failure to protect the local environment, including Jeju's extensive groundwater reserves, and protected species in the area, such as the narrow-mouthed frog. A new US$5.1 billion airport plan was provisionally approved in 2023 with no project completion date set.

Traffic by calendar year

Domestic traffic by route

Busiest international routes

Accidents and incidents

• 5 February 1982: A Republic of Korea Air Force Fairchild C-123 Provider crashed 2.3 miles N of Hallasan Volcano while on approach to land at Jeju in bad weather. All 53 occupants (six crew, 47 army troops) were killed.
• 10 August 1994: Korean Air Flight 2033, an Airbus A300-600R (registered as HL7296) overran the runway while attempting to land at Jeju International Airport. The plane was arriving from Seoul. All 160 persons on board survived.
• 28 July 2011: Asiana Airlines Flight 991, a Boeing 747-400F (registered as HL7604) experienced an in-flight fire and crashed while attempting to divert to Jeju. The plane was en route from Incheon to Shanghai. Both pilots were killed.

References

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