# Gimhae International Airport

Gimhae International Airport (IATA: PUS, ICAO: RKPK) is located on the western end of Busan, South Korea. Opened in 1976, the airport is named after the nearby city of Gimhae. A new international terminal opened on October 31, 2007. Gimhae International Airport is the main hub for Air Busan, and a focus city for Jeju Air, Jin Air and Korean Air. Runway 18L/36R is used for military purposes only for Gimhae Air Base, but due to increasing traffic, there are plans to open the runway for airliners. In 2018, 17,064,613 passengers used the airport.
As the airport is now beyond its design capacity and surrounded by mountains, buildings and other objectives, a new airport is currently being built on Gadeokdo to meet growing demand. Because the airport is shared with military facilities, photography and video of the apron, runway, and military stations are prohibited according to the airport website.

## History

In August 1976, Gimhae Airport opened, and commercial air traffic shifted there from the old airport. A new domestic terminal was completed in May 1983. Korean Air launched a route to Honolulu in October 1992. In April 2002, Northwest Airlines began service to its hub at Tokyo's Narita Airport, where people could board connecting flights to the United States. In March 2007, Lufthansa inaugurated service to Munich via Seoul. This was the first route between Busan and Europe. President Roh Moo-hyun opened a new international terminal seven months later. Delta Air Lines, which had merged with Northwest, ended the Tokyo link in May 2012. Lufthansa terminated its flight to Busan in March 2014.

## Airlines and destinations
### Passenger

| Airlines | Destinations |
| Air Busan | Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Cebu (resumes 30 March 2025), Da Nang, Denpasar, Fukuoka, Haikou, Hong Kong, Jeju, Kalibo, Kaohsiung, Kota Kinabalu, Macau, Matsuyama, Nha Trang, Osaka–Kansai, Qingdao, Sanya, Sapporo–Chitose, Seoul–Gimpo, Tagbilaran, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tokyo–Narita, Ulaanbaatar, Vientiane, Xi'an, Yanji, Zhangjiajie |
| Air China | Beijing–Capital |
| China Airlines | Taipei–Taoyuan |
| China Eastern Airlines | Shanghai–Pudong |
| China Southern Airlines | Shenyang Seasonal: Yanji |
| Eastar Jet | Chiang Mai, Jeju, Kumamoto, Naha, Taipei–Taoyuan, Yanji |
| HK Express | Hong Kong |
| Jeju Air | Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Cebu, Da Nang, Fukuoka, Jeju, Kaohsiung, Kota Kinabalu, Osaka–Kansai, Sapporo–Chitose, Seoul–Gimpo, Singapore, Tagbilaran, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tokyo–Narita, Ulaanbaatar, Zhangjiajie |
| Jin Air | Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Cebu, Clark, Da Nang, Fukuoka, Guam, Jeju, Naha, Nha Trang, Osaka–Kansai, Sapporo–Chitose, Seoul–Gimpo, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tokyo–Narita |
| Korean Air | Beijing–Capital, Fukuoka, Jeju, Nagoya–Centrair, Qingdao, Seoul–Gimpo, Seoul–Incheon, Shanghai–Pudong, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tokyo–Narita Seasonal: Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi |
| MIAT Mongolian Airlines | Ulaanbaatar |
| Philippine Airlines | Manila |
| Shanghai Airlines | Shanghai–Pudong |
| Singapore Airlines | Singapore |
| Spring Airlines | Shanghai–Pudong |
| Tigerair Taiwan | Taipei–Taoyuan |
| T'way Air | Nha Trang, Osaka–Kansai, Seoul–Gimpo |
| VietJet Air | Da Nang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc |
| Vietnam Airlines | Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang (begins 1 June 2025) |

### Cargo

| Airlines | Destinations |
| Korean Air Cargo | Seoul–Incheon |
^1 Korean Air between Busan and Incheon is available only to passengers flying internationally to/from South Korea with Korean Air

## Statistics
### Passengers

Air traffic statistics :
| | Aircraft operations | Passenger volume | Cargo tonnage |
| 2001 | 61,242 | 9,168,089 | 203,335 |
| 2002 | 60,090 | 9,173,288 | 204,464 |
| 2003 | 58,600 | 8,782,835 | 185,372 |
| 2004 | 52,212 | 7,674,153 | 175,850 |
| 2005 | 50,735 | 7,045,806 | 152,407 |
| 2006 | 52,935 | 7,071,037 | 135,607 |
| 2007 | 58,119 | 7,403,262 | 126,947 |
| 2008 | 59,575 | 7,202,117 | 113,710 |
| 2009 | 61,171 | 6,870,157 | 105,320 |
| 2010 | 62,225 | 8,160,546 | 119,390 |
| 2011 | 66,525 | 8,749,153 | 126,710 |
| 2012 | 71,713 | 9,196,090 | 121,256 |
| 2013 | 77,665 | 9,671,381 | 116,185 |
| 2014 | 78,646 | 10,378,867 | 123,242 |
| 2015 | 87,709 | 12,382,150 | 146,694 |
| 2016 | 99,358 | 14,900,815 | 185,472 |
| 2017 | 107,363 | 16,403,541 | 186,471 |
| 2018 | 110,924 | 17,064,613 | 183,507 |
| 2019 | 111,276 | 16,931,023 | 171,953 |
| 2020 | 53,150 | 7,235,652 | 48,250 |
| 2021 | 57,694 | 8,859,304 | 36,010 |
| 2022 | 61,733 | 10,027,097 | 55,555 |
| 2023 | 82,185 | 13,694,710 | 113,703 |
| 2024 | 94,870 | 15,752,458 | 146,816 |
| Source: Korea Airports Corporation Traffic Statistics ||||

### Top carriers

In 2024, the ten carriers with the largest percentage of passengers flying into, out of, or through Gimhae International Airport are as follows:
Top carriers (2024) :
| Rank | Carrier | Domestic passengers | International passengers | Total | % |
| 1 | Air Busan | 2,578,382 | 2,784,308 | 5,362,690 | 34.04% |
| 2 | Jeju Air | 1,112,222 | 1,645,376 | 2,757,598 | 17.51% |
| 3 | Korean Air | 1,903,675 | 786,946 | 2,690,621 | 17.08% |
| 4 | Jin Air | 870,638 | 1,389,328 | 2,259,966 | 14.35% |
| 5 | VietJet Air | | 792,974 | 792,974 | 5.03% |
| 6 | T'way Air | 205,060 | 233,608 | 438,668 | 2.78% |
| 7 | Vietnam Airlines | | 367,743 | 367,743 | 2.78% |
| 8 | China Airlines | | 220,593 | 220,593 | 1.40% |
| 9 | Philippine Airlines | | 126,449 | 126,449 | 0.8% |
| 10 | Eastar Jet | 76,678 | 40,735 | 117,413 | 0.7% |

### Top destinations

Busiest domestic routes (2024) :
| Rank | Airport | Passengers | Top carriers |
| 1 | Jeju | 3,514,193 | Air Busan, Eastar Jet, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Korean Air |
| 2 | Seoul–Gimpo | 2,822,980 | Air Busan, Eastar Jet, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Korean Air, T'way Air |
| 3 | Seoul–Incheon | 409,482 | Jeju Air, Korean Air |
Busiest international routes (2024) :
| Rank | Airport | Passengers | Top carriers |
| 1 | Fukuoka | 1,167,935 | Air Busan, Jeju Air, Korean Air |
| 2 | Osaka–Kansai | 1,034,422 | Air Busan, Jeju Air, Jin Air, T'way Air |
| 3 | Taipei–Taoyuan | 923,928 | Air Busan, China Airlines, Eastar Jet, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Korean Air, Tigerair Taiwan |
| 4 | Tokyo–Narita | 681,262 | Air Busan, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Korean Air |
| 5 | Nha Trang | 545,479 | Air Busan, Jin Air, VietJet Air, T'way Air |
| 6 | Da Nang | 514,320 | Air Busan, Jeju Air, Jin Air, VietJet Air |
| 7 | Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi | 475,004 | Air Busan, Jeju Air, Jin Air, Korean Air |
| 8 | Hanoi | 327,286 | VietJet Air, Vietnam Airlines |
| 9 | Ho Chi Minh City | 323,548 | VietJet Air, Vietnam Airlines |
| 10 | Shanghai–Pudong | 278,142 | China Eastern Airlines, Korean Air, Shanghai Airlines, Spring Airlines |
| 11 | Sapporo–Chitose | 256,360 | Air Busan, Jeju Air, Jin Air |
| 12 | Cebu | 244,010 | Jeju Air, Jin Air |
| 13 | Tagbilaran | 182,140 | Air Busan, Jeju Air |
| 14 | Singapore | 156,460 | Jeju Air, Singapore Airlines |
| 15 | Kaohsiung | 144,008 | Air Busan, Jeju Air |
| 16 | Phu Quoc | 138,164 | Vietjet Air |
| 17 | Manila | 126,449 | Philippine Airlines |
| 18 | Hong Kong | 122,830 | Air Busan, HK Express |
| 19 | Qingdao | 116,650 | Air Busan, Korean Air |
| 20 | Guam | 115,346 | Jin Air |

## Ground transportation
### Metro

* Busan-Gimhae Light Rail Transit : Gimhae International Airport Station

### Bus
#### Airport Limousine Bus

* Gimhae International Airport (from Airport to Busan station) International Terminal - Domestic Terminal - Jagalchi (Chungmudong)
* Gimhae International Airport (from Busan Station to Airport) - Airport (International Terminal)
* Gimhae International Airport (International Terminal) - Domestic Terminal - Yangwoon middle school

#### Regional Bus

* 1009 : Geumgok-dong ↔ Gimhae Airport ↔ Gadeok-do Sunchang
* 307 : Gimhae Airport ↔ Haeundae
* Gangseo No. 11 : Ulman ↔ Gimhae Int'l Airport ↔ Deokcheon station (Gupo Market)
* Gangseo No. 13 : Hadan ↔ Gimhae Int'l Airport ↔ Deokcheon station (Deokcheon JCT)

#### Intercity Bus

Masan, Changwon, Jinhae, Jangyu, Gimhae, Pohang, Gyeongju, Gumi, Dongdaegu, Ulsan, Eonyang, Yangsan, Gohyeon, Okpo, Jangseungpo

## Incidents and accidents

* On January 31, 2001, a McDonnell Douglas DC-10-40, operating as Japan Airlines Flight 958 was en route from Gimhae to Narita International Airport and narrowly avoided a mid-air collision with another Japan Airlines plane over Yaizu in Suruga Bay. All 250 people on the DC-10 were uninjured.
* On April 15, 2002, a Boeing 767-200ER, operating as Air China Flight 129 from Beijing Capital International Airport to Busan, crashed into a hill while trying to land at Gimhae during inclement weather, killing 129 of the 166 people on board.
* On 28 January 2025, an Airbus A321-200 operating as Air Busan Flight 391, caught fire before takeoff at Gimhae en route to Hong Kong, resulting in seven injuries and the evacuation of all 176 people on board.