Please Use 'Pohang Gyeongju Airport' Frequently! Actively Use It When Visiting the Capital Area and Jeju Island

Pohang City urged citizens to actively use Pohang Gyeongju Airport when traveling to the Seoul metropolitan area and Jeju Island ahead of the peak vacation season.

Pohang Gyeongju Airport Flight and Bus Timetable.

Since Korean Air suspended operations in December 2019 due to low passenger rates at Pohang Gyeongju Airport, Pohang City has been promoting various revitalization policies such as attracting a new LCC (Jin Air), changing the airport name, and increasing flights on the Gimpo route.

In 2020, the overall route passenger rate and load factor remained at 40% (54,000 passengers), but it has steadily increased to 44.3% (153,000 passengers) in 2021, 51.9% (243,000 passengers) in 2022, and 63.8% (82,000 passengers) from January to April 2023.

However, the Gimpo route’s load factor remains in the 40% range, and the Jeju route shows a load factor about 10-15% lower (in the mid-70% range) compared to other city airports due to the influence of alternative airports (such as Daegu and Ulsan).

To maintain a stable Gimpo route, it is considered necessary to increase the load factor to at least 70%, and Pohang City is strengthening promotions to increase airport usage.

Starting in June, with the COVID-19 crisis level downgraded and tourism demand expected to surge, the city sent official letters requesting cooperation in promoting Pohang Gyeongju Airport to towns, townships, and neighborhoods near Gimpo that can easily access Gimpo Airport.

Additionally, the city actively encouraged citizens to use flights during meetings of self-governing organizations such as community leaders, and plans to continue promotion at local festivals, as done in collaboration with Jin Air through Instagram and travel app advertisements at the Pohang International Fireworks Festival held last May.

Jung Jeong-deuk, Director of Public Transportation, said, “As we enter the endemic era, the number of tourists using Pohang Gyeongju Airport is expected to increase further,” and added, “We ask citizens to actively use Pohang Gyeongju Airport when traveling to the Seoul metropolitan area and Jeju Island to ensure the continuous and stable operation of the airport routes.”