New China Routes to Busan and Daegu: Why Checking Info-Desk Hours and Last Trains Matters on Arrival Day
In the early evening, a flight from Hangzhou touches down at Gimhae International Airport. As the seatbelt sign switches off, passengers murmur while pulling suitcases from the overhead bins, and many look around uncertainly as they step into the arrival hall — this is Busan, not Incheon, and that still feels unfamiliar to some. Chinese-language signs catch the eye, but finding someone to ask how to reach the city gets harder the later the hour.
At a glance: Gimhae International Airport international terminal tourist information center (1st and 2nd floor centers, 06:00-23:00, Korean/English/Japanese/Chinese) · Daegu International Airport tourist information center (1st floor, between the international and domestic exits, open daily 09:00-19:00, tel. 053-984-1994) · Busan-Gimhae Light Rail Transit Airport Station last trains (23:48 toward Sasang, 00:07 toward Gayadae) · Gimhae Airport currency exchange counters (inside the light-rail Airport Station and on the 2nd floor of the international terminal; a 24-hour exchange machine is available for late-night arrivals).
This scene has grown familiar because Korea-China air links have expanded fast in recent weeks. On September 15, 2026, South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport held an aviation traffic review committee and announced it had allocated new traffic rights — the government permission that lets an airline operate a given route — on 25 Korea-China routes to national carriers. It was the first such expansion in seven years, since 2019. Busan newly received rights for Chengdu, Harbin and Hangzhou routes, and Daegu for Beijing and Xiamen. Earlier, in July, the Korea Airports Corporation and the Korea Tourism Organization worked with China Eastern Airlines and Loong Air to actually launch Nanjing-Busan (from July 20) and Hangzhou-Busan (from July 22) service at Gimhae Airport, while China Southern Airlines is pursuing Guangzhou and Dalian routes later this year. As a result, Gimhae Airport's international passenger count reached 3.21 million in the first quarter of 2026 alone, up 27.1% year on year — making it, apart from Incheon, the only airport in Korea whose monthly international passengers top one million.
The two airports' traveler-support hours differ. Gimhae's international tourist information center runs from 06:00 to 23:00, so most night arrivals can still stop by before heading into the city. Daegu's information center, located on the first floor between the international and domestic exits, keeps shorter hours, closing at 19:00. If the newly allocated Beijing or Xiamen flights end up scheduled for evening arrivals, travelers should expect the possibility of stepping into the arrival hall after the desk has already closed.
The last public transport into central Busan also stops earlier than many expect. At the Light Rail Transit Airport Station, the last train toward Sasang leaves at 23:48, and the last one toward Gayadae leaves just after midnight, at 00:07. Airport limousine buses — Route 1 to Seomyeon and Busan Station, Route 2 to Gwangalli and Haeundae — run, but with no dedicated late-night service, and a surcharge applies after 23:40. Add the time needed for immigration and baggage claim, and even an evening arrival can mean the last public transport into the city has already left.
What travelers arriving in Busan or Daegu for the first time really need isn't elaborate preparation — just a couple of schedule checks. When booking a flight, it helps to see whether the arrival time falls after 19:00 (when Daegu's information center closes) or around midnight (when the light rail's last trains run), and if so, to look up the limousine bus timetable or taxi fares in advance. Since these new air routes have opened a gateway other than Seoul, learning how that gateway works is the first step of the trip.