"Gimhae is Narrow and Incheon is Far"... Gadeokdo New Airport, a New Chapter for Southeast Region's International Flights and Logistics [Report]

On the 27th, thick fog covered Daehang Ferry Terminal and the village scenery in Gadeokdo, Gangseo-gu, Busan. Once full-scale construction begins, this area will be completely reclaimed. Photo by Choi Seoyoon

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On the 27th, at Daehang Observatory in Gadeokdo, Gangseo-gu, Busan, a gray fog lay low over Daehang Village. Due to the thick fog, the boundary between the sky and the sea was blurred. The sea breeze blew from all directions as if it had lost its way. Over this small fishing village, home to about 600 people (450 households), airplanes will someday take off and land 24 hours a day.

"How will you handle bird strikes?" As soon as the press and government officials arrived, a middle-aged woman shouted. She was from the 'Citizens' Group Loving Gadeokdo' and was holding a yellow banner that read 'Bird Strikes! 353 times that of Muan Airport.' "This is the shortest migratory route for birds coming from Tsushima Island to Busan," she said, pointing to the foggy sky. "Today is relatively better. Fog often settles here."

The project felt like one full of controversy. Opponents pointed out "unstable ground" and "low economic feasibility." Every election, the issue grew larger, and there were many criticisms that political logic had been mixed in.

On the 27th, at the Daehang Observatory in Gadeokdo, Gangseo-gu, Busan, a briefing session on the construction project of Gadeokdo New Airport was held for the press corps, where citizens were holding banners to raise awareness about the risk of bird strikes within the new airport. Photo by Choi Seoyoon

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The view of Daehang Village as seen from Daehang Observatory in Gadeokdo, Gangseo-gu, Busan on the 27th. Photo by Choi Seoyoon

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◆Where Maritime and Air Logistics Meet= The government views the Gadeokdo New Airport not just as a simple aviation facility. It is a 'national land balanced development card' to alleviate concentration in the metropolitan area and a global logistics hub linked with Busan Port. Lee Yoon-sang, director of the Gadeokdo New Airport Construction Corporation, said, "The goal is to be a growth base that concentrates regional employment and industry beyond transportation functions," adding, "It can also retain young talent who leave for the metropolitan area." The corporation expects an influx of 128,000 people during construction and 72,000 people daily after opening (based on 2065).

The new airport will have a dedicated air cargo terminal (17,200㎡) and related sites (98,000㎡). An additional 47,000㎡ expansion site has been secured to attract new logistics models such as e-commerce logistics centers, Sea & Air complex logistics complexes, and shipper terminals. Currently, cargo from China goes through Busan Port to Incheon Airport before heading overseas. This detour in logistics routes results in significant time and cost burdens. The corporation believes the new airport can absorb some of this logistics and establish itself as a hub in the southern region.

A bird's-eye view of the passenger terminal at Gadeokdo New Airport. The passenger terminal is designed to symbolize a seagull, representing Busan, flapping its wings and soaring, embodying the airport's dynamism and symbolism. Provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

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Nearby Gimhae Airport faces significant inconvenience for users due to restrictions on night flights (11 PM to 6 AM) because of its urban location. At the same time, international flight demand is rapidly increasing. Last year, the government estimated international passenger demand at Gimhae Airport to be between 8.7 million and 8.9 million, but actual users exceeded 9,005,800. The international flight capacity (8.3 million) has already been surpassed.

◆A Mega Airport on the Sea= The new airport is currently in the final stages of basic design. The Hyundai Construction consortium, the contractor for the site formation work, plans to submit the basic design by the 28th of next month. After review and qualification approval, a detailed design will be conducted over six months, aiming for completion within the year. The corporation also plans to receive detailed designs for priority construction parts such as access roads and temporary buildings during this process. If the schedule goes smoothly, partial construction could begin within this year.

The new airport will be 667 hectares (2.02 million pyeong), 1.8 times larger than Gimhae Airport. Of this, 59% will be reclaimed land. Approximately 216 million cubic meters of soil and rock, excavated from Gadeokdo’s Guksu Peak and Namsan Peak, will be used to fill the sea. This volume is enough to fill 386 buildings the size of the 63 Building (560,000㎥ each).

The target opening is December 2029. The new airport will be connected by a 16.5 km double-track railway and a four-lane road. The only transportation network directly linking to Busan city center currently is the Busan Metropolitan Rapid Transit Express (BuTX), a private investment project promoted by Busan City. The expected travel time between Busan Station and the airport is 17 minutes. Director Lee emphasized, "There is no public transportation network directly connecting to Busan Station yet," adding, "Since road congestion after opening is inevitable, expansion of the railway network is necessary." The total project cost is 15.6427 trillion won, with 13.7011 trillion won for the airport, 646.8 billion won for roads, and 1.2948 trillion won for railways.

A perspective view of the new airport attached to one wall of the site support center for the construction of Gadeokdo New Airport in Gangseo-gu, Busan. The runway and passenger terminal are arranged in the form of an artificial island, with a port and city connected in the background. The new airport is planned to be developed as a southern gateway airport and a global hub. Photo by Choi Seoyoon

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◆Key to Stabilizing Soft Ground... Measures Against Bird Strikes and Sudden Wind Changes= The new airport, built on reclaimed land, has faced ongoing safety concerns. Director Lee said, "The key is stabilizing the soft ground at depths of 30 to 50 meters," adding, "If this issue is resolved, uneven settlement causing the ground to sink on one side can be prevented." The airport will be equipped with Category 3 navigation facilities, which allow takeoff and landing with a visibility distance of just 200 meters. Lee noted, "Before opening, Incheon Airport also had significant fog concerns, but the actual cancellation rate was only 0.1%."

Regarding the risk of bird strikes, he said, "Current figures are theoretical values based only on bird distribution. They are high because they do not reflect bird deterrence activities like existing airports." The corporation is considering installing bird detection radar (about 3 billion won per unit) and thermal imaging cameras. On concerns about sudden wind changes (wind shear), he said, "After reviewing 27 years of wind direction and speed data from 1997 to 2023, there were no issues with the runway direction. The main wind is northwest, and strong winds are from the east, consistent with existing plans."

Land and sea area ratio of Busan Gadeokdo New Airport. Provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

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The runway will start with one runway measuring 3,500 meters in length and 45 meters in width. The government expects international passenger demand of 23.26 million and international cargo demand of 335,000 tons by 2065. Director Lee said, "More runways are better, but the current plan was finalized with one runway based on Busan City's request, and the basic plan was established accordingly." He added, "There are airports worldwide that handle over 40 million passengers annually with just one runway," and "It is not too late to decide on additional runways after observing demand growth post-operation." Regarding criticism that the runway is narrow, he explained, "With the 2018 revision of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards, advances in aircraft operation technology and navigation facility precision allow large aircraft to take off and land on narrower runways than before."

Compensation costs have increased from the initial 270 billion won to 470 billion won. Land compensation negotiations will begin in mid-next month, aiming for completion within the year. Maritime compensation (for fishing damage) plans to be outlined by December through discussions with fishermen. Director Lee said, "Most residents agree with airport construction, but since they have to relocate their livelihoods, demands for compensation measures are significant."

Lee Yunsang, Chairman of the Gadukdo New Airport Construction Corporation, is speaking at a press briefing held on the 27th at the Gadukdo New Airport Construction Site Support Center in Gangseo-gu, Busan. Photo by Choi Seoyoon

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Regarding criticism of low economic feasibility, Director Lee said, "Local social overhead capital (SOC) projects rarely exceed a cost-benefit ratio (B/C) of 1," adding, "Airports have a structure where once the runway is built, securing routes does not require large costs." He explained that it is difficult to judge economic feasibility by simple figures. A B/C less than 1 means the investment effect is low compared to the cost.

On separate operation from Gimhae Airport, he said, "Currently, Gadeokdo is planned to be operated exclusively for international flights, and Gimhae for domestic flights," adding, "The operation of domestic flights will be reviewed after opening." Incheon Airport also once planned to split international flights with Gimpo Airport but unified all operations to Incheon due to airline fairness issues.

This year, the focus will be on starting priority construction, completing the basic design of the passenger terminal, and completing approval procedures. Director Lee said, "Since last year, we have been laying the foundation of the airport brick by brick," adding, "We will do our best so that the public does not worry about safety and quality."

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