An AirAsia flight from Kuala Lumpur landed at the wrong airport in South Korea on Wednesday, August 13, leaving passengers and even flight attendants confused.
AirAsia Flight D7 506 to South Korea was scheduled to arrive at Incheon International Airport at 7.50pm, but instead touched down at Gimpo International Airport, around 40 kilometres away, at 8.08pm.
South Korea’s JoongAng Daily reported that the captain announced arrival at Incheon upon landing, but many passengers looking out the window realised that they were at Gimpo.
Some passengers said even the flight attendants were unaware of the change. One passenger, Kim, shared his experience with JoongAng Daily, stating…
“A passenger told us we were at Gimpo, not Incheon. The crew looked shocked and asked us to confirm it.”
He also added that the staff appeared to be nervous once they realised the mistake.
Another passenger, Lee, echoed the confusion in an interview with The Korea Herald.
“The flight attendants didn’t seem to know we had landed at Gimpo until a passenger told them. One of them even said she had to call her parents, who were waiting at Incheon.”
Lee also criticised the airline staff for their lack of crisis management during the two-hour layover at Gimpo.
“They were just as confused as the passengers. There was no drinking water and barely any food left on board. Families with children were especially distressed.”
The reason for the unexpected diversion remains unclear. Passengers were reportedly given varying explanations, including turbulence and low fuel, according to Kim.
The flight eventually arrived at its original destination in Incheon at 10.56pm. However, Kim said no formal apology was issued for the mishap.
Malaysia-based outlet MalayMail reported that the cause of the emergency landing had not been confirmed. AirAsia has yet to comment on the incident.
A video taken onboard, cited by JoongAng Daily, captured a flight attendant saying the plane was “running low on fuel” and needed to make an emergency landing.
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