Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul is nearly deserted on Sept. 24, 2021. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 27 (Korea Bizwire) – It has been a year and a half since Gimpo International Airport shut down all international flights following the coronavirus outbreak, and the pandemic continues to rage on.
The international flight terminal has been emptied, with 18 out of 19 duty-free shops and restaurants at the terminal temporarily closed as of September.
Now, they are holding onto non-landing international flights that were introduced at Gimpo, Gimhae and Daegu airports in May for survival.
Non-landing international flights bring passengers to travel over international airspace and return to the airport of departure.
Clearly, non-landing international flights are not enough to sustain the airport.
Non-landing international flights brought 2,070 travelers to Gimpo Airport in May.
In the following three months, the numbers dropped to 600 to 800 passengers. This month, there were only 458 travelers as of September 22.
Industry sources say that the rising vaccination rate and the introduction of a travel bubble resulted in the resumption of flights to Saipan and Guam, sidelining non-landing international flights.
Ashley Song (ashley@koreabizwire.com)
