Cheongju International Airport in Cheongju, North ChungcheongCHEONGJU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CHEONGJU, North Chungcheong — Cheongju International Airport recorded the highest growth rate in international passenger traffic among Korea's regional airports, driven by rising demand for overseas travel.
The airport handled 3,903,291 passengers from January to September this year, up 18 percent from 3,309,261 during the same period last year, according to the Korea Airports Corporation on Tuesday.
International passengers accounted for much of the growth.
Domestic passenger traffic rose just 7.7 percent on year to around 2.16 million over the nine-month period, while international passenger traffic surged 33.7 percent to 1,740,454, the highest growth rate among regional airports nationwide.
Cheongju International Airport currently operates 22 scheduled international routes to seven Asian destinations, including Japan, China, Taiwan and Vietnam, as well as 18 charter routes to four countries. The total number of routes has increased by eight since the second half of last year. Its only domestic route connects Cheongju and Jeju Island.
The growing demand for international flights was also evident in September, which included the Chuseok holiday.
The airport handled 423,771 passengers last month. Domestic passenger traffic edged down 1.8 percent on year to 230,701, while international passenger traffic rose 14 percent to 193,070. The number of aircraft operations increased 13.6 percent from September last year to 3,019.
Cheongju International Airport is currently served by intercity buses connecting it to Seosan and Dangjin in South Chungcheong and the Jeonbuk Innovation City — a planned urban development spanning Jeonju and Wanju County — in North Jeolla.
The Cheongju International Airport in Cheongju, North Chungcheong, on Jan. 22YONHAP
Three city bus routes also serve the airport, including one between Sejong and Cheongju International Airport and another between Osong Station in Cheongju and the airport.
"Residents of Daejeon, Sejong and southern Gyeonggi, as well as North Chungcheong, are increasingly choosing Cheongju International Airport over Incheon International Airport when traveling to Asian destinations," said Kim Hong-ju, head of the airport support team at the North Chungcheong provincial government.
"Improved accessibility, including the opening of an airport railway station on the Chungbuk Line and the expansion of bus services, has also contributed to the increase in passenger numbers," Kim added.
The provincial government expects Cheongju International Airport's annual passenger traffic to surpass 5 million for the first time since its opening by the end of this year, due to strong travel demand from October through February.
Additional charter routes to Chinese cities, including Yichang and Shijiazhuang, and Japanese destinations, including Matsuyama and Fukushima, are scheduled to be introduced gradually starting this month.
However, the airport's reliance on a single runway for civilian flights remains a major challenge as passenger traffic continues to grow.
Cheongju International Airport, which opened in 1997, is a joint civilian-military facility with two runways — one is used exclusively by the Air Force, while the other is shared by civilian and military traffic.
The North Chungcheong provincial government has been urging the central government to build a dedicated civilian runway as a solution.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is preparing its seventh comprehensive airport development plan for 2026 to 2031, following feasibility reviews and public hearings. The provincial government hopes to have the proposed runway included in the plan.
"Despite uncertainties such as rising fuel surcharges, the airport maintained steady growth and handled 420,000 passengers in September," said Kim Min-jung, director of the balanced development division at the North Chungcheong provincial government.
"We will continue to strengthen Cheongju International Airport's competitiveness by diversifying routes and improving airport infrastructure.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
