BUSAN — The Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone Authority and global logistics company UPS (United Parcel Service) are moving faster to build an international express air logistics network centered on Gimhae Airport, launching an effort to strengthen air cargo competitiveness across the southeastern region and eventually connect it to the new Gadeokdo Airport.
The authority said on the 3rd that its Commissioner Park Sung-ho met with Brett Stevenson, UPS Asia Pacific regional headquarters director for public affairs, who visited the authority that day, to review progress on the Gimhae Airport international express air logistics project and discuss medium- and long-term cooperation involving the new Gadeokdo Airport.
Seo Bo-kook, head of UPS Korea, and Kim Do-young, head of Daewoo Logistics, also attended the meeting. Daewoo Logistics operates a logistics center and terminal in the Ungdong hinterland complex of the Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone and is pursuing cooperation with UPS in linked air cargo transport.
At the center of the plan is direct operation of dedicated international express cargo aircraft out of Gimhae Airport, serving the southern part of the country. UPS is pursuing air cargo transport using Gimhae Airport to meet international express demand from exporters in the Busan and Gyeongsang region. Both sides focused their talks on cargo handling capacity for express shipments and on building customs and operating infrastructure.
Busan and South Gyeongsang Province host a dense concentration of export manufacturers in autos, shipbuilding, defense and machinery, so an international express air network is expected to cut overseas logistics times for companies and boost export competitiveness. It would strengthen Gimhae Airport's international cargo function while also reinforcing the multimodal logistics role of the Busan-Jinhae Free Economic Zone, which links seaports and airports.
The two sides paid particular attention to the possibility of medium- and long-term investment tied to the new Gadeokdo Airport. The idea is that building an air logistics network linked to the new airport, on the foundation of the Gimhae Airport express network, could turn the southeastern region into a global hub for combined air and sea logistics. To that end, the authority and UPS agreed to continue discussing cooperation frameworks among relevant agencies as well as investment plans.
"If an international express logistics network using Gimhae Airport is established, companies in Busan and Gyeongsang will be able to connect with global markets more quickly and efficiently," Park said. "We will work closely with relevant agencies so that UPS's Gimhae Airport air logistics project leads to actual investment and flight operations."
