Remaining Tasks for Air Busan Integration: Preserving Busan's Aviation Competitiveness

[Anchor]

The controversy surrounding the integration of Air Busan ultimately points to the future of Busan's aviation competitiveness. Locally, maintaining the functions of a base airline following the integration has emerged as a new challenge.

Reporting from KNN, Kim Dong-hwan.

[Reporter]

Simply having runways and terminals does not complete a gateway airport.

Experts point out that the role of a region-based hub airline is crucial to attracting international routes to Gadeokdo New Airport and expanding aviation demand.

While continuing discussions with relevant industries to ensure that the headquarters' core functions, aviation network, and local talent recruitment remain in Busan even after the integration, the Busan Metropolitan City government is continuously conveying the region's stance.

[Park Jae-hong / Head of New Airport Promotion Headquarters, Busan Metropolitan City: We are requesting this from the perspective that the headquarters' functions must be maintained, the aviation network we have built in Busan must be preserved, and local talent recruitment must continue to expand.]

Efforts to lay the groundwork for maintaining these hub functions are also underway.

Thanks to property tax reductions on aircraft by Gangseo District, the number of registered aircraft at Gimhae International Airport has increased from 26 a year ago to 41 currently.

Aircraft registration is one of the indicators showing the scale and competitiveness of an airline operating based on a specific airport.

[Kim Kwang-il / Professor of Air Transportation at Silla University: From an aviation perspective, a regional base airline holds significant value when looking ahead to Gadeokdo New Airport.]

Maintaining these hub functions is not only about airport competitiveness, but also about protecting the industrial foundation that the region has nurtured over a long period.

[Kim Kyung-min / Strategic Planning Team Leader, Busan Chamber of Commerce and Industry: If the headquarters moves away, a significant portion of the economic benefits generated in the region will inevitably leak out. Protecting the local companies we have already grown is just as important as bringing in new businesses.]

What Busan is trying to protect is not just the company name, but ultimately the functions of the base airline and the region's aviation competitiveness.

The local community's demand is clear: even if the companies are integrated, Busan's aviation routes and hub functions must not be shaken.

(Video by: Kim Tae-yong, Jeon Jae-hyun / KNN)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.