This is a post by author Jaeseong Lim. Jaeseong is the Chief Executive Officer at UBjet Aviation, a Universal Aviation® Certified ground handler, which is based in Seoul, South Korea and provides supervision services throughout the country. Jaesong is an expert on business aircraft operations to South Korea and can be contacted at jason.lim@ubjetav.com.

This business aviation blog post continues from our article last week, entitled “Business Aviation Trip Planning: 2018 Winter Games in Korea – Part 1: Airports, Parking, Handling & Local Area.”

While South Korea is normally a straight-forward and easy operating environment for business aviation–from the perspective of obtaining permits, airport slots and parking approvals–you’ll be dealing with a higher level of demand and more competition among operators during the 2018 Winter Games event period next February.

The following is an overview of what you need to know:

1. Permit requirements

Landing permits and airport slots are needed for all entry into the country and must be requested well prior to arrival. Note that airport slots are only confirmed if parking is available. Official lead time for private non-revenue landing permits is normally two business days, but we expect permit processing time to be somewhat longer closer to the event. The earlier your landing permit is requested, the better it will be in terms of securing preferred airport slots and parking.

2. Short notice permits and revisions

While permits can be obtained with less than two business days lead time, in some cases, it’s at the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA’s) discretion. Plan on providing at least 24 hours’ notice for any permit revision request. Be mindful that short notice revisions may not be possible. It’s usually best to keep to your originally approved schedule whenever possible.

3. Permit documentation

South Korean landing permit requests must be submitted with the following information/documentation:

• Full schedule
• Certificates of airworthiness and registration
• Worldwide insurance
• Noise certificate
• Operator information and specific purpose of flight
• Crew and passenger manifest

4. CIQ clearance

Unless using the general aviation terminal (GAT) facility at Gimpo (RKSS), crew and passengers will always clear customs, immigration and quarantine (CIQ) in the main commercial terminals in Korea. For main terminal clearance, passengers line up in the same queues as scheduled commercial travelers, but clearance usually takes less than 20 minutes. Crew can access dedicated crew clearance lines in Korea. Note that fast track clearance options for passengers are currently unavailable due to local security conditions. However, this situation may change in future.

5. CIQ procedures

On international arrivals, other than for tech stop purposes, passengers and luggage will be escorted to the terminal by the ground handler for immigration, customs and quarantine clearance. Depending upon local conditions and airport congestion, this process usually takes 10-20 minutes. From time to time customs officials may request additional screening of passenger and crew luggage.

6. Passenger passports and visas

Passengers must possess valid passports, and remaining validity should be for at least six months. Depending upon nationality, passengers may need visas and any required visas must be obtained prior to arrival. Additionally, arrival cards, Customs Declaration Forms and Health Questionnaires must be completed, and your ground handler will assist with this. For more information on Korean visa requirements see the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

7. Crew passports and visas

Active crew arriving in Korea need to present valid passports and crew IDs. So long as the crew member is listed as crew on the gen dec no visa is required for short stays in country. Crew must also complete and submit a Customs Declaration Form and a Health Questionnaire upon arrival.

Conclusion

Though the landing permit and slot process is standardized for all operations to South Korea, we expect that operators will experience delays in processing times or find lack of availability for slots as this event comes closer. It’s recommended that operators avoid making changes to approved permits and airport slots to prevent issues with re-approval. Also, be aware of the CIQ process and visa and passport needs.

Questions?

If you have any questions about this article or would like assistance planning your next trip to South Korea, contact me at jason.lim@ubjetav.com.