Gwangju to Reapply for Temporary International Flights at Gwangju Airport

Delay in Reopening Muan Airport
"Honam Region's Air Routes Severed... Urgent Government Action Needed"

The city of Gwangju has called on the government to take action in response to the prolonged suspension of operations at Muan International Airport.

Gwangju Airport panoramic view.

On November 10, the city issued a statement saying, "Muan International Airport has been excluded from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's '2025 Winter Regular Flight Schedule,' effectively cutting off air routes to the Honam region until March next year. The government must no longer ignore the inconvenience and damage suffered by local residents and should come up with responsible countermeasures."

The city pointed out, "It has been nearly a year since the Jeju Air passenger plane accident, yet Muan Airport has still not returned to normal operations. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has repeatedly postponed the reopening schedule without presenting a concrete roadmap, which is a serious problem."

Since the runway closure in December last year, the reopening of Muan Airport has been delayed four times: the first extension (until January 2025), the second (until April), the third (until July), and the fourth (until January 2026).

The city of Gwangju criticized, "While the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport claimed that Muan Airport could reopen within this year, it did not approve the temporary operation of international flights at Gwangju Airport. This has resulted in severing air accessibility for the Honam region without a clear normalization plan."

The city also expressed concern, stating, "Even after March next year, there is no guarantee as to when Muan Airport will resume normal operations. If this uncertainty continues, it will inevitably cause serious damage to the local economy."

Accordingly, the city of Gwangju has decided to reapply for the temporary operation of international flights at Gwangju Airport. The city stated, "The government must promptly take responsible action to restore air routes to the Honam region and to develop measures to address the resulting damage."

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