‘Pohang Gyeongju Airport’, Renovated from July 14 ... Driving Mutual Growth of Pohang and Gyeongju

Pohang Airport → Officially Renamed to 'Pohang Gyeongju Airport' Starting from the 14th

Pohang Airport will be officially renamed and take effect as 'Pohang Gyeongju Airport' starting from July 14.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Dongguk Lee] Pohang City, Gyeongbuk Province announced that from July 14, the name of 'Pohang Airport' will be officially changed to 'Pohang Gyeongju Airport.'

Following the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Aviation Policy Committee decision in February this year to rename Pohang Airport to 'Pohang Gyeongju Airport,' it took about five months to update aviation information publications (AIP), maintain airport facilities, and revise road signs. The new name will be officially used starting July 14.

Pohang Airport, the only airport in Gyeongbuk built in 1970, recorded its highest annual passenger volume of 1.12 million in 1997. However, with the opening of the new Gyeongju KTX in 2011 and Pohang KTX in 2014, passenger numbers sharply declined (averaging 60,000 to 90,000 annually), and the airport experienced long-term stagnation, including Korean Air's withdrawal from February to July 2020.

In response, Pohang City shared the need for mutual complementarity with the neighboring tourist city of Gyeongju. By consolidating regional capabilities of both cities, they submitted a petition to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in December 2020 to change the airport's name. After one year and seven months, they achieved the first name change among domestic airports.

To revitalize Pohang Gyeongju Airport, which will be officially effective from July 14, Pohang City is working with related organizations including the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Gyeongbuk Province, Gyeongju City, the airport corporation, and Jin Air to develop various activation measures.

Mayor Kangdeok Lee stated, "With the official enforcement of the Pohang Gyeongju Airport name change, we will do our best to enable the airport to take a new leap forward by revitalizing the local economy through expanding inbound tourists to Pohang and Gyeongju. We will continue to pursue long-term tasks such as linking with Ulleung Airport, which opens in 2025, and creating a resident-friendly airport as part of our administrative goals to maintain and grow Pohang Gyeongju Airport stably."

The direct bus between Pohang Gyeongju Airport and Gyeongju Bomun (Gyeongju route 1000) was launched in March this year. To attract tourists from the Seoul metropolitan area, Jin Air's Pohang-Gimpo route has been increased to two round trips per day, significantly improving accessibility for tourists visiting Pohang and Gyeongju.

Additionally, Gyeongbuk Province, Pohang City, and Gyeongju City are coordinating tourism promotion fund budgets to develop promotions such as influencer fam tours and airfare discount incentives for general tourists through the Gyeongbuk Cultural Tourism Corporation. For extensive promotion of 'Pohang Gyeongju Airport,' they are conducting video advertisements inside Gimpo Airport, digital billboard ads at major locations in the metropolitan area, KTX cabin advertisements, and radio broadcasts.

Other ongoing initiatives include discount promotions for Marine Corps recruits by Jin Air, the airline serving Pohang Gyeongju Airport, preferential programs for Pohang companies' business travelers, posting promotional banners at major tourist sites in Pohang and Gyeongju, and publicity on Pohang and Gyeongju city websites and social media.

Due to the geographical characteristics of Pohang Gyeongju Airport (obstacles such as hills at both ends of the runway and sea-adjacent fog), the cancellation rate is higher compared to other domestic airports (6-7% at Pohang Gyeongju Airport versus about 1% at other domestic airports). Pohang City proposed to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport the design of a new flight procedure (RNP-AR) to improve the cancellation rate.

As of July, coordination between Boeing and airlines on on-site technical application is underway, with implementation expected around August. Once the new flight procedure is implemented, the cancellation rate is expected to drop to around 2%.

Regarding the Pohang-Gimpo route, which currently has low occupancy, Pohang City emphasized that as the only air route connecting the Gyeongbuk East Coast region and the Seoul metropolitan area, continuous operation is essential. They strongly urged not only Pohang and Gyeongju residents but also nearby Gyeongbuk East Coast residents to actively use the route.

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