Any news on Gimpo reopening to international?
 

I was searching for Korea-to-US award flights for December (via UA), and I noticed that it was giving me a few itineraries via GMP-HND-US. Since that's only a few months out, I was wondering if anyone had heard anything about whether GMP would be opening up again for international flights. If this were a year in advance I'd just write it off, but given how close it is I was kind of curious if anyone has heard anything. (I didn't book tone of those routes in the end, although I really wanted to...)

I wouldn't expect Gimpo International to open until like literally Spring 2022. Japan is still locked up tight, so are Taiwan and China which of course were the only places you could go from Gimpo. Absolutely nothing is being discussed, but it's very obvious haha. We are all still woefully under vaccinated here in Korea and other Asian countries so that's gotta happen first...then get through winter again....

anyone have any further news on possible dates for resumption of international flights at GMP?

None. Gimpo International flights come back when Japan (Tokyo), China (Shanghai), Taiwan (Taipei) reopen. They're definitely still just as restricted if not more so than Korea. AND even then, "regular air travel" has to come back before they take a big risk on Gimpo IMO. ICN main operations and travel first then Gimpo second.

Korea still has a 7-day quarantine for visitors, down from 14 days, so that's good news. Korea is getting rid of their contact tracing and COOV app check ins at restaurants and cafes. This is a step in the direction of opening up soon, so fingers crossed.

I'm seeing flights starting in May.

This may be phantom availability. Routes may still exist without them selling any seats. Schedules are updated on a rolling, monthly basis. For example, KE still only has one flight a day to Tokyo in May and it's a flight to NRT. JAL will not resumed any flights to GMP in May.

As noted in this thread above, GMP will likely reopen flights to Japan once Tokyo removes its restrictions on entry. Same would go for China.

Not real. Japan and ANA will sell the flights now, cancel them because of course Japan is closed, etc. etc. They've shown up in booking systems the entire pandemic when GMP and Japan are both closed.

Japan is closed to entry, not to transit to foreign countries. People pass through to international targets from both HND and NRT daily (I just flew through both between LAX and BKK both ways). I also had a confirmed seat from HND to GMP in June, though I ended up canceling it due to having to move my trip out a couple weeks. Though that trip depended on GMP being open to international travel, otherwise yeah the flights end up canceled like they were for May.

Are there any further updates on reopening of GMP to international travel? I'm looking at making a connection through HND to the U.S. in July, and it looks like JAL is starting their GMP-HND flights as of June 1st and ANA as of July 1st (at least from a scheduling perspective).

I've heard that Japan is not going to change their policies on international tourist travel until their elections in July at earliest, so wondering if counting on a GMP reopening to international in July is still too risky.

Absolutely don't do it. Gimpo international flights exist essentially for business travelers - closer in to town, higher fares, etc. So, they won't re-open until business travel is fully back to normal....which with Japan's conservativeness could be God knows when....definitely not July 1.

So hopefully this come to fruition next month. https://english.seoul.go.kr/phased-r...ional-flights/

For May 2022, "Reoperation of international flights in Muan (MWX), Cheongju (CJJ), Jeju (CJU), Gimpo (GMP), Yangyang (YNY) Airports"

5 local airports to resume operating 22 international routes in June

Looks like it will happen in June. We shall see if it actually happens.

I've heard that in mid-June, the minister of foreign affairs Park will be flying mid-June between GMP and HND to celebrate the reopening of the route and to strengthen ties with Japan.