Korea Airports Corporation Begins Apron Control at Gimpo International Airport... "Enhancing Safety and Operational Efficiency"

An employee working at the apron control tower of Gimpo International Airport. Photo by Korea Airports Corporation

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Hyun-seok] Korea Airports Corporation will begin apron control of the ground movement area at Gimpo International Airport starting from the 16th of this month.

According to Korea Airports Corporation on the 15th, the corporation established the "Gimpo International Airport Apron Control Center" dedicated to apron control to enhance safety and operational efficiency in the aircraft movement area due to the increase in air traffic at Gimpo Airport.

The Gimpo Airport Apron Control Center will be responsible for ground control of aircraft moving in the domestic and international aprons, excluding maneuvering areas such as runways and taxiways within the airport movement area, as well as controlling vehicle movement and ground operations.

To implement apron control at Gimpo Airport, the corporation has been promoting facility improvement projects since 2020. It has prepared all necessary conditions for performing apron control tasks, including remodeling the control tower, securing specialized control personnel and organization, and establishing operating procedures for the control center. In March, it obtained the "Air Traffic Service Certificate" from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, officially launching as an air traffic control agency.

The corporation divides the Gimpo Airport apron into four zones for control. It directly manages detailed information affecting overall airport operations, such as aircraft movement start times and parking stand assignments. This is expected to minimize safety hazards within the movement area and improve apron operational efficiency by enhancing punctuality and reducing delay rates.

The corporation plans not only to achieve uninterrupted and accident-free control of the Gimpo Airport apron but also to add air traffic control operations to its existing areas of airport construction, management, operation, and aviation personnel training. In the future, it aims to contribute to the development of the aviation industry by securing urban air traffic control capabilities during overseas airport development projects and UAM commercialization.

At the opening ceremony held that day, Eo Myeong-so, the 2nd Vice Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, said, "It is very meaningful to open an important facility that will contribute to aviation safety and traffic management in the post-COVID-19 era, when air traffic is rapidly increasing," and urged, "Please make every effort to ensure aviation safety."

Yoon Hyung-jung, President of Korea Airports Corporation, stated, "Through the corporation’s high-quality apron control operations, we will do our best to ensure that the public using air traffic can travel more safely by air."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.