[Weekly File] 'Travel Industry Facing Collapse'... Will Gwangju Airport's International Routes Be the Solution?

Gwangju Travel Industry Faces 30 Billion KRW in Losses
Gwangju City 'Reviewing' vs. Jeonnam Province 'Opposing'
Short-Haul Flights Possible, but Approval Conditions Are Stringent
Economic and Political Circles: "International Flights Needed to Minimize Damage"

Gwangju Airport panorama. Photo by Yonhap News

Following the Jeju Air passenger plane disaster on December 29, a series of travel product cancellations have occurred in the Gwangju and Jeonnam travel industries, causing severe management difficulties. Amid this, calls to temporarily open Gwangju Airport for international flights are growing louder.

However, Gwangju City and Jeonnam Province have shown starkly different positions on opening Gwangju Airport for international flights. Considering the required procedures and safety measures for converting to an international airport, it is expected that it will take some time before international flights can be launched.

◇ Why did the debate over opening Gwangju Airport for international flights begin?

According to the Gwangju Tourism Association, after the Jeju Air passenger plane disaster on December 29, the total sales loss for small and medium-sized travel agencies (excluding major domestic agencies and charter operators) due to cancellations of products for January and February exceeded 30 billion KRW, threatening the livelihoods of over 2,000 people.

In response, the association demanded the following measures, anticipating a prolonged closure of Muan International Airport: ▲deferment of COVID-19 loan repayments ▲support for job retention ▲support for losses of small businesses ▲reopening of Gwangju Airport for international flights.

The Emergency Response Committee of the Gwangju Tourism Association issued an appeal on the 6th, stating, "The Gwangju travel industry is facing a serious crisis," and added, "We can only survive if Gwangju Airport is temporarily opened, even if only for a short period."

The committee said, "We barely got through three years of suffering from COVID-19, and now the Jeju Air disaster occurred at Muan Airport," and appealed, "The only way to overcome this crisis is to open the international route at Gwangju Airport."

They further emphasized, "Since Gwangju citizens are the largest users of Muan Airport, we must maintain the demand for regional air travel by attracting temporary international flights to Gwangju Airport."

◇ Gwangju City 'Careful Review' vs. Jeonnam Province 'Firm Opposition' ... Widening Gap

After the disaster, with Muan International Airport expected to be closed for a long period, Gwangju City is reviewing the possibility of launching international flights at Gwangju Airport.

When Muan Airport opened in 2007, Gwangju Airport transferred its international routes to Muan International Airport and has since operated only domestic flights. With the demands of the local travel industry and a series of upcoming international events such as the World Human Rights Cities Forum in May and the World Archery Championships in September, Gwangju City finds itself in need of international routes within the region.

On the 11th, Gwangju City visited the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to discuss attracting irregular international flights to destinations such as Japan, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia from Gwangju Airport, which currently only serves domestic flights. At that time, the ministry reportedly responded, "Safety issues must be resolved first."

Gwangju City plans to apply for approval of irregular routes to the ministry if necessary, after fully considering the timing of Muan Airport's reopening and Gwangju Airport's operational and capacity capabilities.

However, the differing views of the ministry and Jeonnam Province regarding the timing of Muan Airport's closure are also obstacles to Gwangju City actively pursuing international flights.

On the other hand, Jeonnam Province is expressing opposition, citing significant constraints regarding the launch of international flights at Gwangju Airport.

On the 6th, Jeonnam Province issued a statement through the Director of the Construction and Transportation Bureau regarding the temporary operation of international flights at Gwangju Airport, saying, "We wish for the success of the 2025 World Archery Championships," but added, "In reality, there are major constraints in attracting international flights to Gwangju Airport."

According to Jeonnam Province, the World Archery Championships do not meet the requirements for attracting international flights under the International Sports Event Support Act. In fact, Gwangju City's application for international flights last September was not approved by the ministry.

Furthermore, after the Jeju Air accident, a special airport safety inspection by the ministry found that Gwangju Airport also requires facility improvements to ensure safety, as it was included among airports needing safety upgrades.

Jeonnam Province emphasized, "Now is the time for Gwangju City and Jeonnam Province to work together for the early normalization of Muan International Airport as the main gateway airport of the southwest region," and added, "We hope Gwangju City will show broad-minded cooperation to prevent unnecessary debate."

◇ Possibility of International Flights at Gwangju Airport

When Muan Airport opened in 2007, Gwangju Airport transferred its international routes to Muan International Airport and has since operated only domestic flights.

The runway at Gwangju Airport is 2.835 km long, similar to Muan Airport's 2.8 km. Compared to large airports like Incheon (4 km) and Gimpo (3.6 km), the runway is shorter, but it is suitable for short-haul routes such as Hawaii.

However, whether Gwangju Airport will actually open for international flights remains uncertain.

Yoo In-chon, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said at a meeting with the Gwangju and Jeonnam travel industry held at the Asia Culture Center in Dong-gu, Gwangju, on the 11th, "We are discussing with the ministry, but realistically, it will take some time to repair and reopen Muan Airport, which is expected to be around August," and added, "Converting Gwangju Airport to an international airport will take almost the same amount of time. Additional facilities such as an arrivals hall are required, and the conditions for an international airport must be met."

However, he expressed a negative stance regarding the temporary introduction of international flights at Gwangju Airport.

He explained, "The ministry in charge expects Muan Airport to reopen around August," and added, "Even for temporary international flights at Gwangju Airport, the standards for an international airport must be met. Even if we push ahead quickly, it is expected to take a similar amount of time as the reopening of Muan Airport."

In particular, the basic structure of the azimuth guidance facility, cited as a key factor in the recent disaster, is 70 cm lower than the ground level, and after embankment work, it is being moved underground. According to the ministry's special safety inspection, Gwangju Airport was also included as a 'facility requiring safety improvements,' which could cause further delays.

◇ Gwangju's Economic and Political Circles Also Call for International Flights at Gwangju Airport

The Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry issued a statement on the 11th, saying, "Due to the unfortunate Jeju Air disaster last year, the operation of Muan International Airport has been suspended from January to October this year, putting the travel and aviation industries in Gwangju and Jeonnam in a serious crisis."

The chamber emphasized, "This year is the Year of Visiting Gwangju and also the year when international events such as the World Archery Championships and the World Human Rights Cities Forum will be held in Gwangju, with numerous foreign tourists and teams expected to visit Gwangju and Jeonnam," and added, "With the closure of Muan International Airport, there is no alternative airport in the region, causing inconvenience to foreign visitors to Gwangju and posing a major obstacle to the successful hosting of international events."

The Council of District Mayors, consisting of the heads of Gwangju's five autonomous districts, also requested the government to allow temporary international flights at Gwangju Airport.

The council plans to propose to the government to allow international flights at Gwangju Airport, which currently only operates domestic flights, in order to minimize damage to the travel industry and reduce inconvenience for local residents.

Additionally, in response to the Jeju Air disaster, they decided to improve the residents' safety insurance, which has overlapping coverage items and differs in amount by district.