South Korea's Incheon Airport check-in system crashed! Long queues of passengers, severe flight delays

The check-in system at Incheon Airport was down, and passengers were waiting at the scene. Schematic diagram. (European News Agency)

An airline check-in system failure occurred at Incheon International Airport in South Korea today, causing chaos in the departure process. Some passengers said, "There are no compensation or rebooking guidelines at all. I can only keep waiting." Photos of the queues at the scene went viral on social media and travel forums.

According to the "Incheon International Airport Corporation", starting from 4:30 in the morning that day, eight airlines in Terminal 1 and five airlines in Terminal 2 experienced intermittent communication interruptions. In the afternoon, the formal check-in operations of three airlines including China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, and Air China were essentially suspended.

Although the airport's official website immediately shows that the waiting time in the departure hall is "smooth", there is already a long queue in front of the check-in counter. Terminal 2 is expected to have more than 2,000 departing passengers every hour by 8 p.m., and the later it is reopened, the more crowded the airport may be. Passengers are advised to arrive at the airport early or depart from other airports such as Gimpo Airport instead.