SEOUL: Ticketing and check-in services resumed at Incheon Airport on the evening of Oct 30, following a major network disruption that effectively halted operations for three Chinese carriers and caused significant passenger delays throughout the day.
After their regular ticketing systems came to a near-standstill by the afternoon, China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, and Air China were able to restart operations around 5.20pm, according to the Incheon International Airport Corporation.
The disruption started at approximately 4.30am due to instability in the global network of US-based aviation communications provider ARINC, causing intermittent connectivity issues for 13 airlines – eight in Terminal 1 and five in Terminal 2.
The impact was most severe for the three Chinese airlines, resulting in delays for at least 35 flights.
As of 3.30pm, 1,200 passengers were estimated to be waiting at check-in counters across the affected airlines, leading to severe congestion and long queues.
To manage the bottleneck, these airlines were forced to implement limited manual check-in procedures for passengers with imminent departures.
IIAC deployed about 50 additional staff to assist with passenger guidance and queue management.
The airport operator also requested additional support from the South Korean Justice Ministry to bolster immigration processing capacity and alleviate the resulting terminal crowding.
While the technical issue has been resolved, the airport continues to assess the full extent of the disruptions to passenger travel itineraries. - The Korea Herald/ANN
