"Delayed by 5 Hours"... Flights Diverted and Delayed One After Another at Incheon Airport Amid 94-km/h Winds

Delays expected to continue despite downgrade of strong wind warning

Aircraft were diverted or delayed at Incheon International Airport due to heavy rain accompanied by strong winds.

According to Incheon International Airport on the 18th, a total of 40 flights were canceled that day. Of these, 36 flights were canceled in advance based on weather forecasts, while four were canceled on the day. Another 34 flights were delayed, and nine were diverted. According to the Aviation Meteorological Office, the maximum wind speed on the airport runways reached 51 knots (about 94 km/h) at around 1:36 p.m. Visibility also fell sharply due to rain accompanied by thunder and lightning. Wind shear was reported on all runways. Wind shear is a sudden change in wind direction and speed while an aircraft is taking off or landing, and it can be dangerous if encountered during either operation.

In particular, three flights turned back and landed at Gimhae Airport that day: T'way Air Flight TW302 from Osaka, Japan, which was scheduled to arrive at Incheon Airport at 1:30 p.m.; Hong Kong Airlines Flight HX628 from Hong Kong, scheduled to arrive at 1:35 p.m.; and Jeju Air Flight 7C1404 from Fukuoka, Japan, scheduled to arrive at 1:45 p.m.

China Eastern Airlines Flight MU2033 from Qingdao, scheduled to arrive at 12:10 p.m., and Shandong Airlines Flight SC4611, scheduled to arrive at 12:50 p.m., were delayed by about five hours from their original schedules. China Eastern Airlines Flight MU5021 from Xi'an and China Southern Airlines Flight CZ6073 from Yanji were also diverted.

Heavy rain accompanied by strong winds in Incheon on the 18th, flooding Wanjeong Intersection in Geomdan-gu. Incheon Fire Headquarters

The Korea Meteorological Administration issued a strong wind warning for Yeongjongdo, where Incheon Airport is located, at noon that day, followed by a heavy rain advisory at 1 p.m. The heavy rain advisory was lifted at 2:50 p.m., while the strong wind warning was downgraded to a strong wind advisory at 3:30 p.m. According to the Incheon Fire Headquarters, 78 cases of damage from heavy rain were reported between 9 a.m. and 2:10 p.m. that day, and one person was injured. The rain also temporarily flooded the intersection at the entrance to Yedanpo in Yeongjong-gu, Incheon, and Wanjeong Intersection in Majeon-dong, Seohae-gu.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.