Departure
98%
vs 95% ▲ 3
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Daegu Airport (RKTN/TAE) is a joint civil-military aerodrome in the Dong District of Daegu, South Korea, sharing its two long parallel runways with the Republic of Korea Air Force's 11th Fighter Wing and its F-15K squadrons. For a simulator pilot it offers a rare mix of scheduled domestic and regional international airline traffic alongside fast-jet military operations on a substantial ILS-equipped runway pair.
Daegu Airport is a dual-use civil and military airfield serving the city of Daegu and the wider North Gyeongsang region of southeastern South Korea. It functions as a base for the Republic of Korea Air Force's 11th Fighter Wing, which flies the F-15K, while also handling domestic and a modest number of international airline services, with T'way Air using the field as a hub. The combination of high-performance military jets, airline traffic and long concrete and asphalt runways makes it an interesting destination for simulator pilots exploring East Asian airspace.
The airfield lies in Dong District, Daegu, in southeastern South Korea, at coordinates 35.8942 N, 128.659 E. As a military-shared aerodrome operating F-15K fighters and controlling airline traffic, it sits within controlled airspace served by its own approach, tower and ground frequencies. Because the airport is shared with the military, taking photographs or video of the apron, runway or military facilities is strictly prohibited.
Daegu has two parallel physical runways aligned 13/31. Runway 13R/31L is 8,967 feet long, has a hard surface, is lit, and is equipped with an ILS. Runway 13L/31R is 8,965 feet long, also hard-surfaced and lit; on this runway the 31R end additionally has an ILS. Field elevation is 115 feet.
Daegu Intl Approach and Departure operate on 135.9 MHz (callsign RKTN_APP/RKTN_DEP). Daegu Intl Tower is on 126.2 MHz, and Daegu Intl Ground shares 118.2 MHz with CLD. The ATIS broadcasts on 127.65 MHz. Clearance delivery (PMSV, referenced as Kunsan Metro) is on 34.65 MHz, and an ACP frequency of 120 MHz is also listed under the callsign Brickwall. Both runway ends (13R and 31R) are equipped with ILS.
The airfield originated under Japanese rule as Taegu Airfield, established on 31 January 1937. At the outbreak of the Korean War it consisted only of a dirt and gravel runway and two concrete buildings, and was designated by the USAF as K-2. It was used for the Bout One project, an emergency programme training Republic of Korea Air Force pilots to fly the P-51 Mustang, with aircraft providing close air support to the U.S. 24th Infantry Division through July 1950. On 10 July 1950 the Bout One force became the 51st Fighter Squadron, merging into the 12th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 4 August. The 822nd Engineer Aviation Battalion improved the original runway from 18 July 1950 and began building a parallel 5,000-foot PSP runway from 7 August. Numerous USAF units operated from the field during 1950, including the 18th Fighter-Bomber Group and its squadrons flying F-51s, the 6147th Tactical Control Squadron flying T-6 Mosquitos, and later the 49th Fighter-Bomber Group flying F-80s, the first jet unit based in Korea, along with reconnaissance squadrons flying RF-80s. The airfield was abandoned following the North Korean attack on Taegu in mid-August 1950 but was reoccupied by USAF units from 23 September 1950, after which the 822nd Battalion resurfaced the runway with PSP and extended it to 5,700 feet. In May 1951 the 930th Engineer Aviation Group began repairing the PSP runway and started construction of a 9,000-foot concrete runway. The base saw F-84E, F-86F and later F-4D operations, and continued as a military facility through the postwar decades, later hosting MH-53J helicopters in the 1990s. The airport was formally opened as Daegu International Airport on 1 April 1961.
Daegu Airport continues to operate as a joint civil-military airport, hosting the Republic of Korea Air Force's 11th Fighter Wing and its F-15K squadrons alongside scheduled airline services. It serves as a hub for T'way Air and handles a range of domestic routes plus a limited number of international destinations across East and Southeast Asia. Passenger numbers declined steadily after KTX high-speed rail reached Daegu in 2004 but have risen sharply since 2014 with the expansion of low-cost carriers. Given the military presence, prior permission is required for civil flights, and photography of the apron, runways or military facilities is strictly prohibited.