# Gadeok Island Airport

Gadeok Island New Airport (Korean: 가덕도신공항; Hanja: 加德島新空港) is a planned international airport currently under construction on Gadeokdo, an island of Busan, Gyeongnam, South Korea. Upon completion, the airport will replace functions of Gimhae International Airport, including handling international flights. It could replace functions of Gimhae Air Base.

## History

In 1992, the city of Busan released an urban plan which discussed the need for a new airport in the region. In 2002, Air China Flight 129 crashed into Mount Dotdae near Gimhae International Airport in Busan, which accelerated discussion about a new airport located away from mountainous areas.
The planning of a new airport began during the Roh Moo-hyun administration of 2003–2008 to aid in dispersing increasing air traffic from the Gimhae International Airport, which remains the only international airport in the southern region of South Korea.
By 2012, the government under Lee Myung-bak abandoned plans to pursue a new airport in the region. This decision was challenged by then presidential canditate, Park Geun-hye, who stated a new airport was essential. During the Park Geun-hye administration, efforts were instead redirected to expansion of the Gimhae International Airport.
In 2014, a government commissioned report indicated that a new airport in the Yeongnam region would be required as flights continued to increase. In 2013, Gimhae International Airport attracted 9.6 million visitors and was projected to be saturated by 2023. A debate began amongst cities such as Busan and Daegu about the location of a new airport.
During the 2017 South Korean presidential election, Presidential candidate Moon Jae-in promised to build a new airport at Gadeokdo.
During the 2021 mayoral by-election in Busan, both the ruling Democratic Party of Korea and opposition People Power party agreed on fast-tracking airport development.
In April 2022, President Moon Jae-in stressed the importance of speeding up the development of the new international airport and plans for a new airport were announced. The plans included construction of South Korea's first floating airport which would be located both on the land and sea off the island of Gadeok with a proposed opening in 2035. Construction is estimated to be over 13.7 trillion won (US$10.64 billion).
Opening of the first runway was later changed to 2029. The fast-tracking aimed to assist Busan in winning its bid for the 2030 World Expo (later lost to Riyadh). Opening of the second runway is scheduled for 2031.

## Design

The airport will include a 3,500-metre (11,500 ft) runway, designed to accommodate larger freighter models including the Boeing 747-400F. The Government of Korea and Government of Gyeongsangnam-do would extend the 3,500-metre (11,500 ft) runway to 3,800-metre (12,500 ft) and make new runways with 3,800-metre (12,500 ft) . The airport will be designed with a category II instrument landing system, with plans to upgrade to a category III.
It will have parking lots for 10,718 cars and an airport apron to hold 58 aircraft and would expand its capacity to hold 209 aircraft. It will have two taxiways, six rapid-exit taxiways, and four right-angle taxiways.
The airport will host a ferry terminal to connect passengers to Ulsan, Haeundae, and Yeosu. An additional 16.53 km of railway may also be built, which could be accessible via the Bujeon and Gyeongbu railway lines. The airport may also use the upcoming EMU-320 passenger train. An additional 9.8 km of road will also be constructed to connect the airport to the existing expressway.

### Naming

The name of the airport has yet to be officially determined. It has been proposed that the airport be named the "Yi Sun-sin International Airport". The name refers to Yi Sun-sin, a 16th-century Korean admiral and military general. If adopted, it would be the first airport in South Korea named after a historic figure.