CHEONGJU — Cheongju International Airport handled more than 500,000 passengers in August, the first time monthly traffic has passed that mark since the airport opened, as summer holiday demand coincided with lower fuel costs.
North Chungcheong Province said on the 9th that a total of 504,058 passengers used the airport in August, citing aviation statistics from Korea Airports Corporation.
That compares with 432,319 passengers in August 2025 and is the highest monthly total on record for the airport.
International passengers led the increase, rising 24.6% from August 2025 to 231,172. During the summer peak transport period from July 25 to Aug. 10 alone, 282,657 passengers used the airport, the highest figure for any summer peak period.
The pace of growth in cumulative international traffic ranked first among the country's regional airports. Total passengers for the January-August period came to about 3.48 million, fourth among regional airports, but the 36.7% year-on-year increase in international passengers far outpaced Jeju at 28.3%, Gimhae at 22.6% and Gimpo at 19.5%.
If the trend continues, the airport is expected to reach 5 million annual passengers.
"We will continue to identify and diversify short-haul routes with solid demand, including China, Japan and Southeast Asia, and we will reach 5 million annual passengers this year without fail," said Kim Min-jung, head of the provincial government's balanced development division.
