Kalma Airport in Wonsan | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Summary | |||||||||||||||||||
| Airport type | Military/Public | ||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | North Korean government | ||||||||||||||||||
| Serves | Wonsan Munchon Anbyon | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Wonsan,Kangwon-do,North Korea | ||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | September 24, 2015 (2015-09-24) (commercial flights) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 39°9′59″N127°29′3″E / 39.16639°N 127.48417°E /39.16639; 127.48417 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Map | |||||||||||||||||||
  WOS Location in North Korea | |||||||||||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Kalma Airport | |
| Hangul | 갈마비행장 |
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| Hanja | 葛麻飛行場 |
| Revised Romanization | Galma Bihaengjang |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kalma Pihaengjang |
Kalma Airport (IATA:WOS,ICAO:ZKWS) is a dual-use civil and militaryairport inWonsan,Kangwon-do,North Korea. A new international terminal and passenger ramp opened in September 2015.[citation needed]
TheRepublic of Korea ArmyCapital Divisioncaptured Wonsan Airfield on 10 October 1950.[1] On 13 October, Major General Field Harris, commander of the1st Marine Air Wing, flew into the airfield, followed the next day byVMF-312 and other elements ofMarine Aircraft Group 12.[2] The airfield was used by theUnited States Marine Corps and USAF under the designationK-25. By 12 October the USAF's Cargo Combat Command was flying supplies into the airfield.[1]
UN forcesevacuated Wonsan in December 1950. TheBlockade of Wonsan rendered the airfield unusable for the remainder of the war.
In July 2013,Kim Jong Un approved plans for a complete redesign of the airport, turning it into an international airport for civilian use. The new airport was designed by the Chinese architectural firm PLT Planning & Architecture. The redesign will include two 3,340-square-metreoval-shaped terminals, one serving domestic flights and one serving international flights, that will each contain six gates and severalduty-free stores. The runways will also be extended to 3500 metres. It is expected to cost US$200 million.[3]
On 24 September 2015, the first commercial civilian flight landed at Wonsan Airport as a part of an aviation-related tour with thirty passengers.[citation needed] Photographs of the inaugural flight reveal a very much redesigned terminal building, doing away with the original dual-terminal circular layout. The new terminal has a single L-shaped building.
It is reported that the airport cost around $200 million to build, with most of the work being carried out by the military. In July 2015, the first major event, an aeronautics display and contest, took place at the airport.[4]
In September 2016 theWonsan Air Festival took place for the first time, with theKorean People's Army Air Force and the North Korean airlineAir Koryo displaying a number of their aircraft.[5][6][7] A second edition was planned for September 2017 but it was cancelled amidst international tensions.[8][9]
Asiana Airlines became the first foreign airline to operate to the newly reconstructed airport at Wonsan.[10] Air Koryo previously operated charter services from the original Wonsan Airport to South Korea prior to the end of theSunshine policy.[citation needed]
In July 2018 aC-17 of theUS Air Force's204th Airlift Squadron collected 55 cases of human remains from Wonsan. It is thought that these are remains of US or other UN servicemen from the Korean War.[11] The C-17 then flew toOsan Air Base in South Korea.[12][13]
Wonsan Airport has two runways. A new runway was constructed parallel to the existing main runway, which is 375 metres longer. The existing runway was converted into a taxiway. A new terminal opened in 2015 to allow the airport to serve commercial passenger flights. The new construction features 2jetbridges and a newly designed apron that can accommodate 12 commercial aircraft at any one time.
| Airlines | Destinations |
|---|---|
| Air Koryo | Pyongyang |
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain. This article incorporatespublic domain material from the United States Air Force
