Flight Delay Caused by Crew's Collective Tardiness

A Korean Air flight from Cebu, Philippines, to Incheon was delayed for more than 1 hour and 30 minutes due to the collective tardiness of the crew.

As a result, over 200 passengers had to wait for an extended period at the boarding gate, and insufficient guidance from the airline led to complaints from the passengers.

According to a report by News1 on the 27th, Korean Air flight KE616, which was scheduled to depart from Mactan-Cebu International Airport at 1:00 AM local time on the 16th, finally took off after 2:30 AM.

Initially, the airline informed passengers that the reason for the delay was "the late arrival of connecting flights," but it was later revealed that the main cause was the collective tardiness of the crew. The airline initially stated the delay was due to "the late arrival of connecting flights," but it was revealed that the primary reason was the crew's collective tardiness.

According to a passenger on the flight, an announcement was made around midnight indicating that departure would be difficult due to "the late arrival of connecting flights."

However, around 1:00 AM, the KE616 aircraft was already waiting connected to the boarding bridge outside the departure gate.

A passenger, confused by this situation, asked a staff member at the gate, "Why are we not departing when the aircraft is here?" and received a reply from the crew that "the fact is, the crew has not yet arrived."

Eventually, it was not until 2:00 AM that the operational and cabin crew arrived at the gate, causing the 200 passengers who arrived at the airport on time to wait for 1 hour and 30 minutes at the boarding gate.

Korean Air's Explanation and Passenger Reactions

In response, Korean Air stated, "On the day of operation, adverse weather conditions in the Cebu region delayed the aircraft connection," and explained, "The arrival of the crew at the airport was delayed due to local traffic control caused by heavy rainfall, which also delayed ground preparation and boarding preparation more than expected."

Regarding the lack of clear communication about the crew's tardiness to passengers, the airline explained, "Due to operational constraints at Cebu Airport, individual announcements by the airline could not be made, so we were unable to provide sufficient guidance."

A Korean Air representative told News1, "It is true that the previous flight departing from Incheon to Cebu was delayed due to adverse weather," and added, "The expected delay for the flight was about 30 minutes, but the crew's late arrival due to road closures caused by heavy rain likely resulted in a longer boarding delay than anticipated."

Korean Air stated that as a result of this incident, they intend to improve their procedures to ensure more accurate announcements can be made swiftly in similar situations in the future.

However, this incident remains a case showing that the airline needs to improve its crisis response and passenger communication.

Punctuality and transparent information provision are key elements of passenger trust in air service.

This incident emphasizes the importance for airlines to provide accurate information to passengers even in unavoidable delay situations and to develop appropriate response measures.

Image source: Reference photos to assist in understanding the article / Photo = Insight