AirAsia flight from KL to Incheon lands at the wrong airport in South Korea
Some passengers criticised the airline for failing to provide a clear explanation of the situation.
– AirAsia, the Malaysia-based low-cost carrier, is under fire after a flight from Kuala Lumpur International Airport landed at Gimpo International Airport in South Korea instead of its scheduled destination, Incheon Airport, news reports said on Aug 14 .
Originally set to reach Incheon at 7.50pm (6.50pm in Singapore) on Aug 13 , AirAsia flight D7 506 reportedly touched down at Gimpo, 35km from Incheon, at 8.08pm after circling in the air.
According to passengers on the flight, after the captain announced they had arrived at Incheon, people stood up to retrieve their bags from the overhead compartments, but some looked out of the windows and checked their phones to find they were at Gimpo.
'Everyone panicked. It seemed the cabin crew didn't know we had landed at Gimpo until passengers told them,' Ms Lee Mi-hyun, a passenger in her 40s who was returning from a trip to Malaysia with her husband and eight-year-old daughter, told The Korea Herald.
' One crew member even said she needed to call her parents, who were waiting for her at Incheon International Airport.'
What caused the flight to divert to Gimpo was 'turbulence' over Incheon Airport, where it refuelled before departing for Incheon about two hours later at 10.17pm, according to the Korea Airports Corporation.
Ms Lee noted that the crew failed to adequately handle the situation during the two hours before departure for Incheon.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Jalan Bukit Merah fire: PMD battery could have started fatal blaze, says SCDF
Singapore 4 housebreaking suspects taken to Bukit Timah crime scene under police escort
Asia Citizenship for foreign talent: How this footballer from Brazil became Vietnam's favourite 'Son'
Business MyRepublic customers to see no immediate changes to existing services: StarHub
Asia Malaysian MP Rafizi says his son was jabbed with syringe in planned attack, threatened with Aids
Asia India, Singapore ministers discuss deeper tie-ups in digitalisation, skills, industrial parks
Singapore From quiet introvert to self-confident student: How this vulnerable, shy teen gets help to develop and discover her strength
'They appeared just as confused as the passengers. No water was offered and there was almost no food left on board, leaving passengers with children upset. Some even said they would rather get off at Gimpo before the plane departed for Incheon,' she said.
The captain and crew apologised over the public announcement system as the plane headed to Incheon, where it landed at 10.59pm, said Ms Lee.
Some passengers criticised the airline for failing to provide a clear explanation of the situation.
'During the two hours before we departed for Incheon again, there was no clear explanation of what caused the landing error or any effort to reassure passengers,' another passenger surnamed Ryu, 39, told The Korea Herald.
AirAsia has not commented on the incident. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
a minute ago
- Straits Times
Russia launched 85 drones, one missile on Ukraine at overnight: Kyiv
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox People checking out a destroyed Russian combat drone at an outdoor exhibition in central Kyiv. KYIV - Russia launched 85 attack drones and a ballistic missile at Ukraine overnight, Kyiv said on Aug 16, hours after Russian leader Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump held their Alaska talks. The highly anticipated meeting in the remote US state ended with no breakthrough in halting Russia's more than three-year-long Ukraine invasion. Ukraine's air force said Moscow had 'attacked with an Iskander-M ballistic missile and 85 Shahed-type' drones, while also attacking 'front-line areas' in four regions. In its daily report, the air force said the attacks took place 'on the night of Aug 16' and starting in the evening of Aug 15 – when Mr Putin and Mr Trump held their negotiations. Kyiv said its air defences shot down 61 of the drones. Moscow also claimed advances in the east of the country, continuing its on-the-ground attacks and advances during the talks. Russia's defence ministry said troops captured the village of Kolodyazi in the eastern Donetsk region. It also claimed to have taken the village of Vorone in the neighbouring Dnipropetrovsk region – although Ukrainian-linked monitoring websites showed Russian troops still far from the village. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Over 280 vapes seized, more than 640 people checked by police, HSA in anti-vape raids at nightspots Singapore SPLRT disruption: 28km of cables to be tested during off-service hours; works to end by Aug 23 Singapore First-half GDP boost likely temporary; Republic must stay relevant amid challenges: Chan Chun Sing Life Six-figure sales each durian season: Why S'pore durian sellers are now live selling on TikTok Singapore Airport-bound public bus to be fitted with luggage rack in 3-month trial: LTA Singapore 3 truck drivers injured after chain collision on ECP, including one rescued with hydraulic tools Life Meet the tutors who take O-level exams every year to create a 'war mate' bond with their students Life Pivot or perish: How Singapore restaurants are giving diners what they want Russia has pushed into Ukrainian territory for almost 3.5 years, occupying large swathes of the east and south of the country. Russia's invasion of Ukraine, launched by Putin in February 2022, has killed thousands. AFP
Straits Times
a minute ago
- Straits Times
West Virginia governor to deploy National Guard troops to US capital
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox FILE PHOTO: Members of the FBI and the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) run at the Navy Yard–Ballpark metro station in Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 15, 2025. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez/File Photo West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey is deploying 300 to 400 National Guard troops to the District of Columbia at the request of the Trump administration, the governor's office said in a statement on Saturday. The deployment is "a show of commitment to public safety and regional cooperation" and will include providing equipment and specialized training alongside the "approximately 300-400 skilled personnel as directed," the statement said. Drew Galang, a spokesperson for Morrisey, said the state's National Guard received the order to send equipment and personnel to D.C. late on Friday and was working to organize the deployment. Earlier this week President Donald Trump said he was deploying hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington and temporarily taking over the city's police department to curb what he depicted as a crime and homelessness emergency in the nation's capital. A White House official said on Saturday more National Guard troops would be called in to Washington to "protect federal assets, create a safe environment for law enforcement officials to carry out their duties when required, and provide a visible presence to deter crime." According to U.S. Justice Department data, violent crime in 2024 hit a 30-year low in Washington, technically a self-governing federal district under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress. District of Columbia officials and the Trump administration negotiated a deal on Friday to keep D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser's appointed police chief in charge of the police department after D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit to block the federal takeover of the department. Trump, a Republican who has suggested he could take similar actions in other Democratic-controlled cities, has sought to expand the powers of the presidency in his second term, inserting himself into the affairs of major banks, law firms and elite universities. It is not clear how the administration could deploy National Guard troops elsewhere. A federal judge in San Francisco is expected in the coming weeks to issue a ruling on whether Trump violated the law by deploying National Guard troops to Los Angeles in June without California Governor Gavin Newsom's approval. The National Guard serves as a militia that answers to the governors of the 50 states except when called into federal service. The D.C. National Guard, however, reports directly to the president. REUTERS
Straits Times
31 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Danish train moving at ‘relatively high speed' when it hit farm truck
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Police said a 60-year-old woman was killed in the Aug 15 accident, and five of the 27 people injured are in a critical condition. COPENHAGEN - Danish police said on Aug 16 that an express train that hit a farm truck killing one person and injuring 27 was travelling at a 'relatively high speed' when the collision happened. The drivers of the train and the truck are both among the critically injured from the Aug 15 accident on a railway crossing at Bjerndrup in south-west Denmark. A 60-year-old woman was killed and five of the 27 injured are in critical condition, police said. The train was travelling from Copenhagen to the western town of Sonderborg. The truck carrying agricultural waste was crossing the railway at a point where there was no barrier, according to police. The train was travelling at 'a relatively high speed' at the time of the accident, police told a press conference. The investigation would determine whether the light and sound signals at the crossing had worked at the time of the collision, authorities said. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Over 280 vapes seized, more than 640 people checked by police, HSA in anti-vape raids at nightspots Singapore SPLRT disruption: 28km of cables to be tested during off-service hours; works to end by Aug 23 Singapore First-half GDP boost likely temporary; Republic must stay relevant amid challenges: Chan Chun Sing Life Six-figure sales each durian season: Why S'pore durian sellers are now live selling on TikTok Singapore Airport-bound public bus to be fitted with luggage rack in 3-month trial: LTA Singapore 3 truck drivers injured after chain collision on ECP, including one rescued with hydraulic tools Life Meet the tutors who take O-level exams every year to create a 'war mate' bond with their students Life Pivot or perish: How Singapore restaurants are giving diners what they want TV2 television said that in July a 24-year-old driver was killed at a similar crossing 3km away when his car was hit by a train. AFP
