Korean Air preemptively cancels all flights… At least 30,000 people are likely to be stranded
Passenger ships to Mokpo, Jindo, Yeosu, and Wando are also canceled in advance due to the expansion of storm warnings.
With heavy snow, cold waves, and strong winds expected to hit Jeju Island from late at night on the 23rd, Korean Air preemptively canceled all flights departing from and arriving at Jeju Airport on the 24th.
According to Korean Air, on the 24th, all 44 flights departing and arriving between Jeju, Gimpo, Busan, Cheongju and Gwangju will be canceled.
A Korean Air official explained, “Because the forecast was so bad, such as heavy snow and strong winds, we decided to cancel all flights around 3pm.”
The official said, “After looking at the weather conditions on the 25th, we are reviewing countermeasures such as organizing a special flight and expanding seats for passengers on the canceled flight on the 24th.”
Jeju Air also decided to cancel 40 flights departing and arriving before 3pm on the 24th.
Flight availability after that may change depending on circumstances.
Other airlines calling in Jeju, such as Air Busan, also notified passengers of some flights departing and arriving on the 24th by text message.
As of 7 p.m. on the same day, 162 flights, equivalent to 69.25 of the 234 flights scheduled to depart from Jeju Airport on the 24th, were decided to be canceled.
Canceled flights are expected to be added.
This means that at least 30,000 of the 43,000 people scheduled to depart on the 24th will be stranded in Jeju.
The Jeju Regional Aviation Administration and the Airport Corporation operated an emergency response system due to heavy snow and strong winds at Jeju Airport, and additionally dispatched guides for passengers visiting the airport to change flights.
In addition, when the preliminary warning of heavy snowfall takes effect, an emergency response team will be operated to support airport snow removal, air traffic control, and safe flight operations.
The Jeju Regional Aviation Administration and the Airport Corporation predicted that Jeju Airport would be congested, so passengers asked the airline to check the reservation status and flight status before moving to the airport.
From the night of the 23rd, the northwest wind blows strongly at Jeju Airport with an average wind speed of 33 to 41 km/h and an instantaneous maximum wind speed of 64 to 83 km/h.
In Jeju, from the night of the 23rd to the 25th, it was predicted that 30 to 50 cm of snow would accumulate in mountainous areas and more than 70 cm in many places, and about 5 to 20 cm of snow would fall in places other than mountainous areas, and cold wave, strong wind, and storm warnings were also reported in some areas. is fermented
On the other hand, on the 24th, high waves of 2-4m and up to 5m or more centered on the distant sea will rise along the coast of Jeju, and the storm warning will be expanded.
As a result, passenger ship operations were also disrupted, and eight routes connecting Jeju, Mokpo, Jindo, Wando, and Yeosu were announced to be canceled.
/yunhap news
