Baengnyeong Airport Opening Delayed Over 4 Years... Feasibility Reassessment Due to Increased Project Costs

Environmental Impact Assessment Becomes a Key Variable Affecting Baengnyeong Airport Completion

Delay Unavoidable for 47.7 Billion Won Rear-Area Development Project

Heo Jongsik: "Alternative Measures Needed to Shorten Project Period, Including Turnkey Approach"

It is now expected that Incheon Baengnyeong Airport, which was originally set to open in 2029, will be completed between 2033 and 2034, reflecting a 4- to 5-year delay from the initial plan due to administrative procedures following an increase in project costs.

According to data submitted on the 23rd by Democratic Party lawmaker Heo Jong-sik (Incheon Dong-gu, Michuhol-gu Gap) and sourced from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the feasibility reassessment for Baengnyeong Airport, which began in November last year, is scheduled to be completed in the second half of this year. Following this, it has been analyzed that the airport will be completed between 2033 and 2034 after additional strategic environmental impact assessment and environmental impact evaluation.

The initial goal for opening Baengnyeong Airport, which passed the preliminary feasibility study in 2022, was set for 2029. However, in 2023, the government raised the maximum number of aircraft seats for registering as a small airline from 50 to 80 and also proposed expanding the runway strip width for small airports, making delays unavoidable.

Under these new measures, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport expanded the Baengnyeong Airport project site to 810,000 square meters and increased the project cost from 201.8 billion won to 309.1 billion won, which prompted another feasibility reassessment by the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Korea Development Institute (KDI).

Aerial view of Baengnyeong Airport area. Provided by Ongjin County, Incheon.

It is expected that the environmental impact assessment, which will follow the reassessment of feasibility, will also serve as a key variable affecting the completion timeline for Baengnyeong Airport. In the aftermath of the Jeju Air passenger plane accident in December 2024, "bird strike prevention measures," reflecting the characteristics of Baengnyeong Island as a migratory bird habitat, have become a strict requirement. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment has called for mitigation measures such as the creation of alternative habitats with environments similar to the planned site, additional year-round bird surveys, and further documentation on the risk of aircraft-bird collisions.

As the airport opening is forecast to be delayed, the development project for Baengnyeong Airport’s surrounding area—led by Incheon City—is also likely to encounter setbacks. This rear-area development project was originally planned to invest 47.7 billion won to transform a 700,000 square meter zone around the airport into a hub for tourism, recreation, leisure, logistics, and sixth-sector industries by 2030.

Lawmaker Heo stated, “As safety verification—including bird strikes—has emerged as a core issue, effective countermeasures need to be established as a matter of urgency,” adding, “Alternative approaches such as adopting a turnkey method (integrated design-build bidding) should be considered to shorten the project duration.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.