Gimpo International Airport

Gimpo International Airport (Korean: 김포국제공항; Hanja: 金浦國際空港), commonly known as Gimpo Airport (IATA: GMP, formerly SEL, ICAO: RKSS) (formerly Kimpo International Airport), is located in the far western end of Seoul, some 15 km (9 mi) west of the Central District of Seoul. Gimpo was the main international airport for Seoul and South Korea before being replaced by Incheon International Airport in 2001. It now functions as Seoul's secondary airport. In 2015, 23,163,778 passengers used the airport, making it the third largest airport in Korea, as it has been surpassed by Jeju International Airport.

International Terminal at Gimpo Airport, Seoul, South Korea

Gimpo International Airport

김포국제공항
金浦國際空港

Gimpo Gukje Gonghang
Domestic Terminal (Before Refurbishment)
Summary
Airport typePublic
OperatorKorea Airports Corporation
ServesSeoul
LocationGangseo District, Seoul, South Korea
Hub for
Elevation AMSL18 m / 58 ft
Coordinates37°33′29″N 126°47′26″E
Website[1]
Maps

Seoul in South Korea
GMP /RKSS
GMP /RKSS
GMP /RKSS
GMP /RKSS
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
14R/32L 3,200 10,499 Asphalt
14L/32R 3,600 11,811 Concrete
Statistics (2019)
Total passengers25,448,416
Aircraft movements140,422
Tonnes of cargo253,395
Statistics from KAC[2]
Gimpo International Airport
Hangul
김포국제공항
Hanja
金浦國際空港
Revised RomanizationGimpo Gukje Gonghang
McCune–ReischauerKimp'o Kukche Konghang

The airport is located south of the Han River in western Seoul. The name "Gimpo" comes from the nearby city of Gimpo, of which the airport used to be a part.

On 29 November 2003, scheduled services between Gimpo and Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan resumed. Services to Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport resumed on 28 October 2007. Services to Kansai International Airport in Osaka, Japan started on 26 October 2008. Services to Beijing Capital International Airport started on 1 July 2011.[3] Services to Taipei Songshan Airport started on 30 April 2012.[4]

History
F51s at Kimpo (K14) Airfield, October 1950[5]

The airfield was originally constructed in 1935–1942 during the Japanese Imperial period as an Imperial Army base. The runways were built on a bed of rocks manually hauled by Korean laborers from Kaihwasan and Yangchan, several miles from the base.[6] Then known as Keijo New Airfield (京城新飛行場), Kimpo was constructed with four runways to supplement the much smaller Keijo Airfield (京城飛行場), which was later known as Yeouido Airport.[7]

Mitsubishi Ki-51s at Kimpo in October 1945

Korean War

Gimpo played a major role during the Korean War, and the USAF designated the airfield as Kimpo Air Base or K-14.[8]

North Korean forces attacked South Korea on 25 June 1950 starting the Korean War. During one of the first Korean People's Air Force (KPAF) attacks on 25 June a Military Air Transport Service C-54 Skymaster was destroyed on the ground at Gimpo. On 27 June US naval and air forces began evacuating 748 US diplomats, military dependents, and civilians by air transport from Kimpo and Suwon Airfield.[9] On the afternoon of 27 June five F-82 Twin Mustangs of the 68th Fighter Squadron and 339th Fighter Squadron were escorting four C-54 Skymaster aircraft out of Kimpo when the C-54s were attacked by five KPAF Lavochkin La-7 fighters. In the subsequent dogfights, three LA-7s were shot down for the loss of no US aircraft in the first air battle of the war.[10] Later that day four F-80Cs of the 35th Fighter-Bomber Squadron shot down four Ilyushin Il-10s for no losses over Gimpo in the USAF's first jet-aircraft victory.[9]

Gimpo was captured by the KPA shortly after the capture of Seoul on 28 June 1950. On 29 June eight B-29s of the 19th Bomb Group bombed Gimpo and the Seoul railyards.[9] By July the KPAF were using the base for attacks on UN forces, on 10 July, seven Yak-7s were hidden at Gimpo and used in strikes against UN positions at Cheongju. The next day they surprised and damaged several F-80s in the area. On 15 July the US launched an attack on Gimpo, destroying two or three of the seven Yak-7s there and damaging the runway.[11] On 5 August 5th Air Force fighters strafed and bombed Gimpo, destroying 9 aircraft and damaging 9 others.[11]:102

Following the Inchon landings on 15 September 1950, the 2nd Battalion 5th Marines was ordered to seize Gimpo on 17 September.[12] Gimpo was defended by a conglomeration of half-trained fighting men and service forces and by the morning of 18 September the Marines had secured the airfield. The airfield was in excellent shape as the North Koreans had not had time to do any major demolition.[12]:61 On 19 September, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers repaired the local railroad up to eight miles (13 km) inland and 32 C-54 transport planes began flying in gasoline and ordnance. VMF-212 was one of the first units to operate from Gimpo before moving forward to Yonpo Airfield. On 25 September the 811th Engineer Aviation Battalion began repairing bomb damage on the 6,000 feet (1,800 m) asphalt runway at Gimpo and covering it with Marston Matting.[11]:178–9 On 6 October the USAF took control of Gimpo from the USMC.[9]

Following the Chinese Third Phase Campaign and the defeat of UN Forces at the 38th Parallel, on 5 January 1951 General Ridgway ordered the evacuation of Seoul and the withdrawal of UN forces to a new defensive line along the 37th Parallel. Units based at Gimpo were withdrawn to the south and facilities were destroyed to prevent their use by Chinese and North Korean forces.

UN Forces resumed the offensive again in late January 1951 and launched Operation Thunderbolt on 25 January with the aim of pushing Chinese and North Korean forces back north of the Han River. By 10 February 1951, UN forces once again had control of Gimpo.[11]:293

USAF units based at Gimpo (Kimpo) included:

Other UN units based at Gimpo (Kimpo) included:

On 21 September 1953 North Korean pilot No Kum-Sok defected in his MiG-15 landing at Gimpo.

International era
Map of the airport circa 2014, with the rail station seen along the top.

In 1958, the airport was redesignated as the Gimpo international airport of Seoul by a presidential decree, completely replacing the existing Yeouido Airport.[13]

Following the construction of Gimpo, Yeouido Airport was totally demolished. It soon became the main airport of Seoul and South Korea in general. In 1971, a new combined domestic and international terminal was opened. However, following the opening of Terminal 1 in 1977, the original terminal was converted to domestic flights only. Later, Terminal 2 was opened due to the Olympic Games.

However, Gimpo began to take more flights than it is capable of handling. Since 1980, Gimpo met a lot of problems, due to its lack of space to expand. A major problem is that it has a curfew, which means arrivals and departures are strictly prohibited during the night.

Due to these problems, the South Korean government decided to build a new airport. It was actually planned in Cheongju, 124 kilometres away from Seoul, but it was strongly opposed by Seoul and Gyeonggi Province citizens due to its inconvenience (it would be farther away than Viracopos Airport in Campinas, Brazil, which is approximately 80 kilometres away from the city of São Paulo). Finally, the new site was decided to be nearby Yeongjong Island, a part of Incheon. This was later known as Incheon International Airport. All international flights were moved to Incheon when it opened in 2001.[14]

Post-Incheon-activation era

"Shuttle" flights to Haneda Airport in Tokyo started in November 2003 on a charter basis, cutting 30 minutes or more of ground transportation at each end in an attempt to attract business travelers.[15] This "city to city" route was followed by new routes to Hongqiao Airport in Shanghai starting in October 2007,[16] Kansai Airport in Osaka starting in 2008,[14] Beijing starting in July 2011,[17] and Songshan Airport in Taipei starting in April 2012.[18] Total international passenger numbers at Gimpo rose from under one million in 2005 to over four million by 2012.[14]

Korea Airports announced an expansion and remodeling of the terminals in 2013, adding new gates and security checkpoints.[19] In 2017, the Korean government announced that a new terminal would be built to meet growing domestic traffic.[20]

Gimpo currently has two runways (3600 m × 45 m & 3200 m × 60 m), two passenger terminals, and one cargo terminal.

Airlines and destinations
AirlinesDestinations
Air Busan Busan, Jeju, Ulsan
Air China Beijing–Capital
Air Seoul Busan (begins 21 August 2020),[21] Jeju[22]
All Nippon Airways Tokyo–Haneda
Asiana Airlines Beijing–Capital, Gwangju, Jeju, Osaka–Kansai, Shanghai–Hongqiao, Tokyo–Haneda, Yeosu
China Airlines Taipei–Songshan
China Eastern Airlines Shanghai–Hongqiao
China Southern Airlines Beijing–Capital
Eastar Jet Busan, Jeju, Taipei–Songshan
EVA Air Taipei–Songshan
Fly Gangwon Yangyang[23]
Hi Air Ulsan, Yeosu
Japan Airlines Tokyo–Haneda
Jeju Air Busan, Jeju, Osaka–Kansai, Yeosu[24]
Jin Air Busan,[25] Daegu,[26] Gwangju,[25] Jeju, Pohang,[27] Ulsan,[26] Yeosu[28]
Korean Air Beijing–Capital, Busan, Jeju, Osaka–Kansai, Sacheon, Shanghai–Hongqiao, Tokyo–Haneda, Ulsan, Yeosu
Shanghai Airlines Shanghai–Hongqiao
T'way Air Busan,[29] Jeju, Taipei–Songshan

Statistics

Top carriers
International Terminal, Gimpo Airport – Departure
Domestic Terminal before refurbishment, Gimpo Airport – Departure

In 2016, the ten carriers with the largest percentage of passengers flying into, out of, or through Gimpo International Airport are as follows:

Top carriers (2016)
Rank Carrier Domestic
passengers		 International
passengers		 Total %
1 Korean Air 5,215,514 1,220,978 6,436,492 25.70%
2 Asiana Airlines 4,088,721 1,123,109 5,211,830 20.81%
3 Jeju Air 2,740,861 244,915 2,985,776 11.92%
4 Jin Air 2,926,195 2,926,195 11.68%
5 Eastar Jet 1,956,905 54,663 2,011,568 8.03%
6 Air Busan 1,987,427 866 1,988,293 7.94%
7 T'way Airlines 1,787,123 70,992 1,858,115 7.42%
8 All Nippon Airways 424,542 424,542 1.70%
9 Japan Airlines 388,466 388,466 1.55%
10 China Eastern Airlines 194,044 194,044 0.77%

Other facilities

Korea Airports Corporation (KAC) has its headquarters on the airport property.[30]

The Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB) has its FDR/CVR Analysis and Wreckage Laboratory on the property of the airport.[31] When the predecessor agency Korea Aviation Accident Investigation Board (KAIB) existed, its CVR/FDR and wreckage laboratory was located on the airport property.[32]

Ground transportation

Railway

On 23 March 2007 the AREX airport express line started operations to Incheon International Airport, with an extension to Seoul Station which opened in December 2010. Seoul Subway Line 9 also links the airport to the Gangnam area.

For many years, the airport was served by the Gimpo Line, a railway line that no longer exists. In the 1990s, Seoul Subway Line 5 was extended to Gimpo.

Roadway

From Gimpo International Airport, you could go to Incheon International Airport by Incheon International Airport Expressway via Gimpo Airport Interchange.

Some others road also linked Gimpo Airport with Seoul and nearby province including National Route 39, National Route 48, Olympic-daero and Seoul City Route 92 (Nambu Beltway).

Accidents and incidents
International Terminal, Gimpo Airport – Departure
  • On 19 November 1980, Korean Air Lines Flight 015, a Boeing 747-200 landed short of the runway, ripping off all main landing gear, causing the aircraft to skid to a stop on the nose wheel and outer 2 engines starting a fire. 15 of the 226 total occupants were killed, including the First Officer and Captain.[33]
  • On 14 September 1986, A bomb blast occurred outside a terminal building, killing five people and wounding 36. The attack was blamed on North Korea as an attempt to disrupt the 1986 Asian Games starting 6 days later.[34]
  • On 25 November 1989, Korean Air Flight 175, a Fokker F28-4000 en route to Gangneung Airport stalled and crashed right after takeoff, killing one person and wounding 40 people.[35]
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See also

References
  1. Gimpo International Airport Archived 15 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Airport.co.kr. Retrieved on 24 August 2013.
  2. "공항별 통계 : 항공통계 : 알림·홍보 : Kac 한국공항공사". Archived from the original on 20 January 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  3. Gimpo–Beijing air route to open in July Archived 23 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine. South Korea News (26 April 2011). Retrieved on 12 July 2013.
  4. Songshan to begin direct flights to Gimpo in Seoul. Taipei Times (30 April 2012). Retrieved on 6 March 2015.
  5. Photo from collection of LTC (USAF Ret) Harvey W. Gipple
  6. "History of K-14, Kimpo air base, South Korea". www.fabulousrocketeers.com. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  7. "朝鮮半島の旧陸海軍航空基地". navgunschl2.sakura.ne.jp (in Japanese). Retrieved 20 September 2018. 京城飛行場の西北西約１１kmの京畿道金浦郡陽西面に置かれ通称 金浦飛行場 と呼ばれた航空基地で、京城飛行場が手狭のため昭和１４年に旧陸軍が滑走路４本を有する本格的な航空基地として建設が始まって１８年には概成したとされていますが、終戦時にはNW/SEの滑走路は拡張途中であったと考えられます。
  8. "K-Bases in Korea". National Museum of the US Air Force™. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
  9. "History Milestones Sunday, January 01, 1950 – Thursday, December 31, 1959". U.S. Air Force. Archived from the original on 28 June 2013.
  10. "Valor Awards for James Walter Little". Gannett Company. 2011. Retrieved 25 June 2013.(From the Lavochkin LA-71 page ‘Despite reports to the contrary, no La-7s were ever sold or transferred to the People's Republic of China or North Korea. Such reports arose from misidentification by Western pilots of the La-9s or La-11s that were given to those countries.[15])
  11. Futrell, Robert F. (1997). The United States Air Force in Korea, 1950–1953 (PDF). United States Government Printing Office. pp. 99–101. ISBN 9780160488795. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  12. Hoyt, Edwin P. (1984). On to the Yalu. Stein and Day. p. 58. ISBN 0812829778.
  13. "Airport Introduction". www.airport.co.kr. Korea Airports Corporation. 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2017.
  14. "Seoul Gimpo Airport growing by 7% in 2015 despite MERS". anna.aero. 19 October 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  15. "Haneda to Gimpo route to give duty free boost in Japan and South Korea and drive business traffic - The Moodie Davitt Report". The Moodie Davitt Report. 7 November 2003. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  16. "Shanghai Hongqiao – Seoul Gimpo takes off 28OCT07". Routesonline. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  17. "Gimpo-Beijing Flights to Start in July". Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  18. "Songshan to begin direct flights to Gimpo in Seoul - Taipei Times". www.taipeitimes.com. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  19. "Gimpo Airport to get 250 billion won upgrade". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  20. "S. Korea to build new terminal at Gimpo Airport by 2025". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
  21. "Air Seoul adds Seoul Gimpo – Busan service from late-August 2020". Routesonline. 29 July 2020.
  22. "에어서울, 일본발 악재에 '국내선' 유턴" (in Korean). 30 August 2019.
  23. Liu, Jim. "FlyGangwon adds Seoul Gimpo service in 3Q20". Routesonline. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  24. Liu, Jim. "Jeju Air adds Yeosu service in 2Q20". Routesonline. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  25. Liu, Jim. "Jin Air adds new domestic routes in 2Q20". Routesonline. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  26. "진에어, 국내선 또 늘린다…31일부터 김포∼대구 등 3개 취항" (in Korean). Yonhap News Agency. 16 July 2020.
  27. "포항∼김포, 포항∼제주 노선 진에어 31일 취항" (in Korean). Yonhap News Agency. 16 July 2020.
  28. "진에어, 김포~여수·여수~제주 노선 신규 취항" (in Korean). YTN News. 3 June 2020.
  29. Liu, Jim. "T'Way Air adds Seoul Gimpo – Busan service in 2Q20". Routesonline. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  30. "Directions" (see enclosed map). Korea Airports Corporation. Retrieved on June 22, 2017. "07505 Korea Airports Corporation∥78 Haneul-gil Gangseo-gu, SEOUL" - Directions and address in Korean: "07505 서울 강서구 하늘길 78 한국공항공사 [ 전화번호 1661-2626 ]"
  31. "Office Location." (Archive) Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board. Retrieved on 15 February 2012. "CVR/FDR analysis and wreckage laboratory : Gimpo International Airport 274 Gwahae-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul, Korea 157–711"
  32. "KAIB/AAR F0201." Korea Aviation Accident Investigation Board. 4/168. Retrieved on 18 June 2009. "The main office is located near Gimpo International Airport, and the flight recorder analysis and wreckage laboratories are located inside the airport."
  33. Ranter, Harro. "ASN Aircraft accident Boeing 747-2B5B HL7445 Seoul-Gimpo (Kimpo) International Airport (SEL)". aviation-safety.net.
  34. "5 DEAD, 36 HURT IN AN EXPLOSION AT SEOUL AIRPORT". New York Times. 15 September 1968. Retrieved 30 June 2016.
  35. "KAL기 이륙순간 추락 폭발". Dong-A Ilbo. 25 November 1989. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
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