Will This Year’s International Passenger Count at Cheongju Airport Surpass 1.5 Million After Last Year’s 1.47 Million?
This year, the number of international passengers using Cheongju International Airport in North Chungcheong Province has surpassed 1 million.
According to aviation statistics from Korea Airports Corporation, the number of international passengers at Cheongju International Airport exceeded 940,000 as of the end of July, and surpassed 1 million on August 9. Among regional airports, excluding Incheon Airport, Cheongju ranks fourth after Gimhae, Gimpo, and Jeju airports.
Industry experts note that Cheongju Airport has reaffirmed its status as a true international airport, having surpassed 1 million international passengers for the second consecutive year following last year.
Cheongju Airport recorded an all-time high of 1.47 million international passengers last year. This year, the upward trend has become even more pronounced due to airlines’ efforts to diversify international routes. In particular, with the recovery from COVID-19, there has been an explosive increase in demand for overseas travel to destinations such as Japan, China, and Southeast Asia during the summer vacation season, which has accelerated the achievement of 1 million international passengers.
This marks the fastest achievement on record, about one month earlier than September 2, 2024, when Cheongju Airport first surpassed 1 million international passengers since its opening. If this trend continues, the airport is expected to break its all-time record for international passengers this year.
However, despite the increase in passengers at Cheongju Airport, the shortage of slots due to its status as a joint military-civilian airport has heightened the need for a dedicated civilian runway. Establishing a dedicated civilian runway is considered essential for Cheongju Airport to grow beyond North Chungcheong Province and become a central hub airport in the central region.
An official from North Chungcheong Province stated, "It is very encouraging that Cheongju Airport is showing rapid growth centered on international flights again this year," and added, "Establishing a dedicated civilian runway is more necessary than ever to vitalize Cheongju Airport and ensure its continued growth."
The official also said, "We will do our utmost, in cooperation with the public and private sectors as well as lawmakers, to ensure that the plan to establish a dedicated civilian runway is included in the 7th Comprehensive Airport Development Plan, which will be finalized in the second half of this year, and that a special law for Cheongju Airport is enacted within the year to support this effort."
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