AirAsia clarifies diversion of KL–Seoul flight to Gimpo
AirAsia X chief executive officer Benyamin Ismail said the aircraft landed safely at Incheon International Airport at 10.54pm after making the unscheduled stop to refuel.
"Safety is our highest priority, and the captain acted fully in accordance with standard operating procedures, including keeping passengers informed of the diversion," he said in a note shared with the New Straits Times.
Benyamin expressed his gratitude to passengers for their understanding and cooperation during what he described as an operational adjustment to ensure the safety and wellbeing of everyone on board.
Earlier, The Korea Herald reported that Flight D7 506 was scheduled to arrive at Incheon at 7.50pm but touched down at Gimpo at 8.08pm after circling in the air.
Passengers claimed that the captain initially announced their arrival at Incheon, prompting some to retrieve their bags, only to realise, via the view outside and their phone GPS, that they had actually landed at Gimpo.
"Everyone panicked. It appeared the cabin crew were unaware we had landed at Gimpo until passengers informed them. One crew member even said she needed to call her parents, who were waiting for her at Incheon International Airport," a passenger was quoted as saying.
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