KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia X (AAX) has clarified that its Kuala Lumpur–Incheon flight on Aug 13 did not mistakenly land at the wrong airport, but was diverted to Gimpo International Airport for safety reasons.
The airline said flight D7506, which departed from Kuala Lumpur, touched down safely at 10:54 p.m. after a planned diversion prompted by air traffic congestion at Incheon International Airport, caused by adverse weather.
According to AAX, the aircraft made a technical stop at Gimpo for refuelling before continuing to its original destination. The decision was taken to avoid the risk of arriving in Incheon with fuel levels below the required safety limits.
“A miscommunication occurred in the cabin crew announcement upon landing, which the captain quickly clarified. He assured passengers the diversion was solely due to adverse weather and refuelling needs,” the airline said in a statement yesterday.
AAX chief executive officer Benyamin Ismail described the incident as an unforeseen operational challenge, stressing that passenger safety remained the top priority.
“After completing all safety checks, the aircraft departed Gimpo and arrived at Incheon, where guests disembarked. We will be reviewing our internal communications to ensure clearer announcements in future,” he said, adding that travel vouchers would be offered to affected passengers.
The clarification came after media reports suggested the flight had landed at the wrong airport in South Korea. – Bernama
