Airport type Military/Public Elevation 2 m Serves Wonsan | Elevation AMSL 7 ft / 2 m Owner Government of North Korea | |
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Location Wonsan, Kangwon-do, North Korea Opened September 24, 2015 (2015-09-24) (commercial flights) Address Wonsan, Kangwon, North Korea | ||
North korea new wonsan kalma airport
Kalma Airport (IATA: WOS, ICAO: ZKWS) is a dual-use civil and military airport in Wonsan, Kangwon-do, North Korea. A new international terminal and passenger ramp opened in September 2015.
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North korean tupolev 134b landing to wonsan kalma airport inaugural flight of air koryo
Korean War
The ROKA Capital Division captured Wonsan Airfield on 10 October 1950. The airfield was used by the United States Marine Corps and USAF under the designation K-25. By 12 October the USAF's Cargo Combat Command was flying supplies into the airfield.
UN forces evacuated Wonsan in December 1950. The airfield was rendered unusable for the remainder of the war by the Blockade of Wonsan.
Modernisation
In July 2013, Supreme Leader 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 36,000-square-foot oval-shaped terminals, one serving domestic flights and one serving international flights, that will each contain six gates and several duty-free stores. The runways will also be extended to 3500 metres. The airport is expected to serve 1.2 million visitors annually. It is expected to cost US$200 million.
On 24 September 2015, the first commercial civilian flight landed at Wonsan Airport as a part of an aviation-related tour with thirty passengers. 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 and two jetways.
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.
In September 2016 the Wonson Air Festival took place for the first time, with the Korean People's Army Air Force displaying a number of its aircraft, including Sukhoi Su-25, MiG-21 and MiG-29 combat aircraft.
Infrastructure
Kalma Airport has two runways: one measures 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi), while the other is roughly 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) in length.