AirAsia KL-Incheon flight makes surprise landing in Gimpo instead, passengers report confusion and two-hour delay
Published on: Thu, Aug 14, 2025
By: Malay Mail Text Size: The AirAsia Flight D7 506 from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, scheduled to arrive in Incheon, lands at Gimpo Internationa Airport on August 13. — Yonhap pic SEOUL: Passengers on an AirAsia flight from Kuala Lumpur to Seoul's Incheon International Airport reportedly faced a delay of more than two hours after the aircraft unexpectedly landed at Gimpo International Airport nearby without prior notice. Korea JoongAng Daily reported that Flight D7 506 circled in Korean airspace before landing at Gimpo — around 40 km away — at 8.08pm on Wednesday, instead of its scheduled 7.50pm arrival at Incheon. 'A passenger mentioned we were at Gimpo, not Incheon, and even the crew looked surprised and asked us to confirm,' a 38-year-old passenger surnamed Kim was quoted saying. 'Once the crew realised it really was Gimpo, they became visibly flustered. Many passengers had already begun taking out their luggage, thinking we had arrived.' Incheon International Airport is located about 50km west of central Seoul, while Gimpo International Airport is about 15km away. Kim said passengers were told conflicting explanations, including turbulence and a fuel shortage, but there was no sign the plane had been refuelled. 'Even when we finally got to Incheon, no apology was given,' she added. A video recorded on board captured a flight attendant saying the plane had 'run low on fuel' and that the landing at Gimpo was an emergency measure, with the pilot checking if the flight could continue to Incheon. The aircraft stayed at Gimpo for about two hours before departing at 10.03pm and arriving at Incheon at 10.56pm. Kim's 44-year-old husband with the surname Choi, reportedly said passengers were not given clear information. 'There was no clear explanation about what the emergency was or how long we would be delayed … It was very frustrating,' he said. The cause of the diversion has not been officially confirmed. AirAsia has not commented on the incident. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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