Daegu International Airport is an international airport serving the city of Daegu and the surrounding area in southeastern South Korea. The airport is also a military base for the ROKAF's 11th Fighter Wing, whose three squadrons fly the F-15K.

Overview

The airport chiefly serves domestic routes with a small number of international flights. Despite the growth of the nearby city of Daegu, passenger numbers at Daegu International Airport have been steadily declining since 2004, the year when KTX highspeed rail reached the city. The 2013 number of about 1.1 million passengers is around half of pre-2003 figures. Since 2014, passenger numbers have increased sharply due to the expansion of low-cost carriers. Because Daegu Airport is shared with the military, taking photographs or video of the apron, the runway or the military facility is strictly prohibited.

History

Daegu International Airport was originally established under Japanese rule as Taegu Airfield on 31 January 1937.

Korean War

At the outbreak of the Korean War, the airfield consisted of a dirt and gravel runway and two concrete buildings. The airfield was designated by the USAF as K-2. The airfield was used as part of the Bout One project, an emergency program to train Republic of Korea Air Force pilots to fly the F-51 Mustang. The Bout One planes provided close air support to the U.S. 24th Infantry Division through July 1950. On 10 July 1950, the Bout One force was re-designated as the 51st Fighter Squadron, and was merged into the 12th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 4 August. The existing dirt and gravel runway was improved by the 822nd Engineer Aviation Battalion beginning on 18 July, and the Battalion subsequently began preparations for a parallel 5000 foot PSP (perforated steel planks) runway on 7 August. USAF units based at Taegu from July–August 1950 included: Taegu Airfield was abandoned following the North Korean attack on Taegu in mid-August 1950, but USAF units began reoccupying the base by 23 September 1950. The 822nd Battalion had returned to Taegu on 17 September and soon resurfaced the original dirt and gravel runway with PSP and extended its length to 5700 ft. USAF units based at Taegu from September 1950 included: In May 1951, the 930th Engineer Aviation Group began repair work on the PSP runway and commenced construction of a 9000 ft concrete runway.

Postwar

Passenger facilities

Daegu Airport consists of 2 separate terminals: Domestic Terminal and International Terminal. The relatively small passenger terminal (International Terminal) boasts a comfortable environment through its adoption of traditional design elements symbolizing Ouga (The song of five friends: water, rock, pine, bamboo, and moon; by Yun Son-Do), and its crane-like structure. The parking lot can accommodate about 1,097 cars and has a fully automated parking system; it is open from 6 am to 10 pm.

Airlines and destinations

Korean Air's service between Daegu and Incheon is available only to passengers flying internationally to/from South Korea with Korean Air

Statistics

Traffic by calendar year

Access

The airport is 1.34 km from Ayanggyo Station (Daegu Subway Line 1) and can be reached by bus or taxi.

Accidents and incidents