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Muan residents rebuke proposal to shift international flights to Gwangju Airport

Published: 24 Feb. 2025, 16:50

LEE SOO-JUNG
[email protected]

An aircraft lands at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla on Feb. 24. [YONHAP]

Residents of Muan County in South Jeolla on Monday voiced their opposition to Gwangju Airport temporarily operating international flights instead of Muan International Airport, which has been closed due to the deadliest aviation crash on Korean soil two months ago.

A committee representing Muan residents accused the Gwangju city government and the South Jeolla provincial government of making “political calculations” when the sadness of the crash still lingers, according to its press release.

Last week, Gwangju Mayor Kang Gi-jung requested that the central government allow Gwangju Airport to operate international flights as the city has experienced an estimated loss of 30 billion won ($21 million) in the travel industry due to the monthslong closure at Muan International Airport since the crash. Kang also said some 20,900 people have been affected by the airport's closure.

A spokesperson for the committee surnamed Jung said that temporary operation of international flights at Gwangju Airport is “nonsense” and bypasses the voices of people living in Muan County. "If the authorities consider their residents a priority, they should work more for the normalization of services at Muan International Airport," Jung said.

The opposition appears to stem from concerns that such a move would divert travelers to Gwangju Airport, which may have knock-on effects.

Gwangju Airport, built in 1964, became a domestic-only airport when Muan International Airport opened in 2007. However, Muan International Airport announced that it would remain closed until mid-April after the Jeju Air crash, which claimed 179 lives on Dec. 29, 2024.

Kang said Gwangju Airport would cease international flight operations “once safety at Muan International Airport is ensured.”

“The psychological perception of how safe it is to use the airport is important even after Muan International Airport resumes its services,” Kang said.

South Jeolla Gov. Kim Yeong-rok also endorsed the temporary transfer of flights, saying "there is no reason to object if it could alleviate the travel industry’s difficulty."

On Monday, the Gwangju city government also signed a business agreement with a local travel association and a private enterprise providing air charter services in a bid to facilitate international flight operations at Gwangju Airport.

Regarding the eligibility of Gwangju Airport to operate international flights, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said the airport is also subject to a measure to improve its safety facilities as well as its localizers, structures containing the antennas that guide landings. A concrete mound housing a localizer was widely blamed for the severity of the Jeju Air crash.

A military airplane lands at Gwangju Airport in April last year. A passenger airplane is seen behind the military aircraft. [YONHAP]

On Monday, Muan International Airport said it resumed noncommercial flight services for medical and rescue missions and aviation training purposes from the previous day.

The resumption came 56 days after the Jeju Air crash.

Air traffic controllers at Muan International Airport have been allowing airplanes to take off and land without the use of localizers — relying only on a visual approach.

Currently, eight aviation training institutes — five colleges and three privately run organizations — use Muan International Airport for training.

Yet, passenger airplanes are prohibited from using the airport until April 18 for safety inspection and maintenance.

An official from the South Jeolla provincial government said takeoff and landing permissions at Muan International Airport were "granted restrictively" in consideration of the training requirements of aspiring pilots. The official also promised support for ensuring the safe operation of commercial flight services.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG, CHOI KYEONG-HO [[email protected]]