Translation result.Capacity near breaking point as passenger numbers explode
Put the airport on the national development plan first
Lawmakers should push passage of a special airport law
Building a civilian-only runway at Cheongju International Airport is Chungbuk Province’s most urgent and indispensable priority. Beyond supporting the province’s growth, the project is necessary to boost South Korea’s competitiveness in air logistics.
Chungbuk officials said on the 3rd that the civilian-runway project has been designated a major government initiative and that funding for a study has been included; officials expect the project could move forward in earnest as soon as next year.
Once a small regional airport with just a few daily flights between Cheongju and Jeju, Cheongju International Airport has experienced a surge in passengers because travelers from Daejeon, Sejong and Cheonan can all reach it within an hour. That convenience has removed the need for many central-region passengers to make the early-morning trip to Incheon Airport. As a result, Cheongju has risen to prominence as the gateway airport for Sejong’s administrative district and for the central region, posting the largest increase in international passenger traffic among regional airports nationwide.
According to the Korea Airports Corporation’s Cheongju office and Aero K, international passenger traffic at Cheongju International Airport topped 103,000 in May alone.
From January through May this year, Aero K reported 710,000 international passengers and 760,000 passengers in total, including domestic travel—an increase of 30 percent from a year earlier.
An Aero K official said demand from inbound tourists using Cheongju is rising as routes diversify. Given the airport’s easy access not only to the Chungcheong region but also to North Jeolla and North Gyeongsang provinces, the official added, the airport can help stimulate regional tourism and economic activity.
Local leaders and officials warn that the current infrastructure will be unable to absorb the rapid rise in demand.
Because Cheongju shares a runway with the Air Force, slot availability is limited to seven to eight takeoffs and landings per hour. That constraint limits flight frequency and the expansion of international routes. The runway is also too short for long-haul international flights and large cargo aircraft, preventing the airport from becoming a central logistics hub for the midland region.
The government signaled support when it included 500 million KRW (about $375,000) for a pre-feasibility study in the 2026 budget, but the study has not yet started. Representative Song Jae-bong introduced the Cheongju Airport Special Act, but the bill remains stalled in the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee.
Meanwhile, Chungbuk Province delivered a petition with 1.16 million signatures calling for a civilian runway to the National Assembly and the government.
The new provincial leader, representing 1.66 million residents, must act quickly to secure inclusion of the Cheongju runway in the government’s national airport development plan.
At the same time, officials must address urgent complaints from passengers about inadequate parking and expand bus routes and service frequency to nearby areas.
A provincial official said, “Securing the roughly 1.5 trillion KRW (about $1.125 billion) in funding will require lawmakers to unite behind a special law and for local governments to push actively to prioritize the project in the government’s comprehensive airport development plan.”
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