Concerns over short runways grow as Korea plans new airports on islands

ATR72-600 (Choi Ye-bin)

Runway length at airports has become a hot debate topic in South Korea, where plans are underway for small airports with 1,200-meter runways on island regions like Ulleung and Heuksan.

Last week, residents of Ulleung County in North Gyeongsang Province held a rally on Dokdo Island, calling for an extension of Ulleung Airport’s runway to ensure passenger safety.

The concerns follow a recent incident involving Jeju Air at Muan International Airport.

The aviation industry argues that a 1,200-meter runway is sufficient for Korea’s island airports.

Maeil Business Newspaper recently visited Yoron Island, a small, remote island just 23.5 kilometers in circumference.

Despite its modest size, Yoron Island is home to a 1,200-meter runway.

“Yoron Island is much hotter than Korea, which reduces lift during the summer and requires longer takeoff distances,” said Jean-Daniel Kosowski, Asia-Pacific Sales Director at aircraft manufacturer ATR. “The distance from Kagoshima to Yoron is much farther than from Incheon to Ulleung, which also means there is a difference in fuel weight.”

He pointed out that extending the runway to 1,500 meters would inevitably lead to massive financial costs and prolonged construction time.

ATR is a joint venture between France’s Airbus and Italy’s defense contractor Leonardo.

ATR’s 78-seat ATR72-600 propeller aircraft operates a route between Kagoshima and Yoron.

During a flight from Kagoshima Airport to Yoron, which took about 1 hour and 30 minutes, the aircraft still had half the runway left after taxiing off to the ramp area, indicating there was sufficient space.

“Fortunately, there has never been an accident at Yoron Airport,” said Kawabata Yasuhiro, a veteran airport manager who has worked at Yoron Airport for 46 years. “The airport is planning to expand its landing area soon, which will have a similar effect to extending the runway.”