With most regional airports across the country trapped in chronic deficits, Daegu Airport and Cheongju Airport posted profits for the second straight year in 2024–2025, confirmed on the 12th. A surge in people traveling to Japan through the two airports helped.
Until recently, many domestic travelers to Japan, regardless of where they lived, departed through Incheon or Gimpo airports. Now, analysts say Daegu Airport and Cheongju Airport have absorbed the demand for travel to Japan among residents of the Gyeongsang and Chungcheong regions, respectively.
◇ Daegu and Cheongju airports become gateways to Japan for Gyeongsang and Chungcheong residents
According to Korea Airports Corporation (KAC) on the 12th, from January to November last year, among 13 regional airports nationwide excluding Incheon and Gimpo, only Jeju Airport (71.495 billion won), Daegu Airport (632 million won) and Cheongju Airport (4.518 billion won) posted operating profits.
Jeju Airport has steadily remained profitable, but Daegu Airport and Cheongju Airport stand out for turning profits for the second consecutive year after mostly posting deficits until recently. In 2024, Daegu Airport and Cheongju Airport also recorded profits of 2.147 billion won and 5.788 billion won, respectively.
The two airports held up thanks to growth in international passengers. Daegu Airport handled about 3.58 million passengers last year, up 1.2% from a year earlier. Domestic passengers fell 2.4%, but international passengers rose 6.4%. Cheongju Airport's total passenger count also increased 2% to 4,625,601. This, too, was driven by a 32% rise in international passengers despite a 12.4% drop in domestic passengers.
Both Daegu and Cheongju airports saw big increases in passengers on Japan routes. Users of Daegu Airport's Japan routes totaled about 580,000 last year, up 18% year over year. Cheongju Airport saw Japan-bound travelers reach about 1.07 million last year, a surge of 57% from a year earlier.
Japan is one of the most preferred overseas destinations for travelers from Korea after China. The number of travelers to Japan has steadily increased, from 19.38 million in 2023 to 25.14 million in 2024 and 27.32 million last year. In particular, over the past two years, many chose Japan over China or Southeast Asia because the weak yen made travel cheaper.
The aviation industry notes, "If Japan-bound travelers had previously crowded into Gimpo and Incheon, a trend has recently emerged of dispersal to Daegu and Cheongju among residents outside the greater capital area." Daegu and Cheongju airports expanded routes centered on small and midsize Japanese cities to keep pace with rising demand. The cities of Daegu and Cheongju also helped draw travelers by adding transport options from train stations to the airports.
Meanwhile, regional airports other than Daegu and Cheongju remain in the red. From January to November last year, Yangyang Airport posted the largest operating loss at 18.235 billion won. Ulsan Airport also recorded an operating loss of 15.129 billion won last year, and Gwangju, Yeosu, Sacheon, Pohang-Gyeongju, Gunsan and Wonju airports each posted multi-billion-won deficits.