Asian cities with more than one airport
By Su-Ann Mae Phillips
When booking for flights online, some airlines do not specify which airport the plane will be arriving or departing from. This is usually not an issue for American airports, since most large cities traditionally make a distinction between their international and domestic airports – usually, the main (larger) airport will offer international flight connections, while the secondary (smaller) airports will offer mainly domestic flights.
In Asia, however, the situation is slightly different. The traditional distinction between international and domestic airports used in the US does not apply in the case of some Asian airports. There seems to be no uniform distinction between primary (read international) and secondary (read domestic) airports in Asia, especially for airports serving larger Asian cities.
Air travel within Asian cities and countries and the rest of the world is rapidly increasing. This has resulted in some airports offering specialized “international” flights to cities that have regular flight connections. Hence, it is possible to find a number of Asian cities with two airports offering international flights to different destinations – both international and domestic destinations.
Notable examples in Asia to take note of are in Shanghai, Seoul and Tokyo. These three cities traditionally have strong links with one another. In Shanghai, China, both the Pudong International Airport and the Hongqiao Airport offer international flight connections. While most domestic flights operate out of the Hongqiao Airport, there are also domestic flight connections from the Pudong International Airport. While most international flights operate out of the Pudong International Airport, there are also international flights (from Japan and Korea) operating out of the Hongqiao Airport. The same goes for the two airports serving Seoul in South Korea. The Incheon International Airport (ICN) offers most international flights, but the more centrally located Gimpo Airport (GMP) offers international flight connections to Shanghai and Tokyo. In Tokyo, Japan, two airports service the Tokyo region – Tokyo Narita (NRT) and Tokyo Haneka (HND). Both airports offer international and domestic flights, although most international flights operate from NRT.
In cities where there is more than one international airport within a large city or metropolis area, travelers would want to take note of which airport the plane will arrive or depart from. This can help minimize land transfer difficulties and miscommunication, especially if you are arranging for a pick-up. When booking for a flight in or to Asia, the onus is on you, the traveler, to decide if the airport you will be arriving or departing in is appropriate and suitable for your travel needs. Are you on a tight schedule? Limited budget? Are you arranging for flight transfers to another city in Asia, or to somewhere else?
Travelers should take note that some airports may be located further away from the city center. Land connections, especially for flights arriving at wee hours of the morning, may be limited and/or expensive. Some airports may not offer a wide range of connecting flights for the transit passenger, and transit passengers may need to travel from one airport to another. Furthermore, some airports may not be located close to each other, and travelers who are making connecting flights in such cities should factor in sufficient time when booking independently for connecting flights.
One way to help you choose flights is to find out which airport you will be arriving or departing from is to look out for the airport code indicating the arriving or departing airport. The international airport code is used by all airports around the world. The other option is to seek advice from travel agents, especially when arranging for transit flights in Asia.