Gyeonggi Province is promoting the construction of the ‘Gyeonggi International Airport,’ and three locations?Hwaseongho Reclaimed Land in Hwaseong City, Seotan-myeon in Pyeongtaek City, and Moga-myeon in Icheon City?have been shortlisted as the leading candidate sites within the province.
Gyeonggi Province recently announced the results of the ‘Study on Vision and Promotion Plans for the Construction of Gyeonggi International Airport,’ revealing multiple candidate sites for the airport construction along with future implementation plans.
According to Gyeonggi Province, the first step was to identify five cities and ten areas as preliminary candidates within the province by considering airspace (space to ensure the safe operation of aircraft), noise, topographic maps, and on-site inspections.
Subsequently, based on regulations from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the suitability of the ten areas was evaluated by examining factors such as airspace, weather, obstacles, noise, accessibility, and expandability.
Additionally, considering regional balance and economic feasibility in line with the purpose of the future site selection contest, three areas were selected as multiple candidate sites. Based on an airport site area of 2.7 million square meters and a single runway of 3,200 meters, all three candidate sites were analyzed to have an economic feasibility with a benefit-cost (B/C) ratio of 1.0 or higher.
As a detailed strategy, Gyeonggi Province plans to designate an economic free zone near the airport to establish a global national advanced strategic industry hub. Furthermore, tailored to the characteristics of each candidate site, Hwaseong City will focus on mobility, while Pyeongtaek City and Icheon City will specialize in the semiconductor industry as strategic industries.
Location map of the three sites selected by Gyeonggi Province as candidates for Gyeonggi International Airport. Provided by Gyeonggi Provincial Government
Moreover, an airport complex city will be developed in the airport area to revitalize the aviation industry, including essential aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facilities. The hinterland will be developed with logistics and industrial complexes, research complexes, international business districts, and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) facilities.
In particular, a metropolitan transportation hub will be established centered on the airport, integrating roads, railways, and urban air mobility (UAM) to strengthen connections with existing major cities and industries. For sustainable development, an eco-friendly airport and hinterland based on RE100 will be constructed.
To this end, Gyeonggi Province plans to prepare development plans for the hinterland and proceed with the site selection contest after thorough consultations with the relevant local governments.
Han Hyun-su, head of the Gyeonggi International Airport Promotion Team, stated, "We will conduct follow-up studies to establish development strategies for the airport hinterland, faithfully reflecting diverse opinions from local residents gathered through town meetings. We will also specify advanced industry specialization strategies, airport complex city development, and transportation network plans tailored to each candidate site, and prepare comprehensive incentive support measures."
Meanwhile, Gyeonggi Province is promoting the construction of Gyeonggi International Airport to alleviate the inconvenience faced by residents, as 34% of users of Incheon International Airport and Gimpo International Airport are residents of Gyeonggi Province, yet there is no airport within the province itself, resulting in an average travel time of 1 hour and 22 minutes to reach an airport. The province projects its population to reach 14.79 million by 2040.
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