Fierce winter weather grounds Jeju flights, stalls traffic

Jeju Airport reopens runways after nearly 8-hour delay

Heavy snowfall has suspended runway operations at Jeju International Airport, bringing a halt to all flights until at least 4 p.m. on Friday. (Yonhap)

Severe weather conditions accompanied by heavy snowfall and strong winds caused major disruptions in flight operations at Jeju International Airport, with its runway suspended from the early morning on Friday.

According to the airport, the runway reopened after 7 hours and 40 minutes, after the completion of snow removal operations on the runway. Back-to-back delays beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Friday had stalled more than 8,000 departing passengers in the airport.

The departure area for domestic flights at Jeju International Airport is crowded with passengers after heavy snowfall suspended or delayed all flights. (Yonhap)

A total of 261 flights were canceled by the afternoon, including 137 domestic arrivals and 122 departures, as well as one each international arrival and departure. Five flights en route to Jeju Airport were diverted due to runway conditions.

About 7 to 8 centimeters of snow accumulated on the runways and moorings at Jeju Airport.

The airport mobilized all equipment available to remove snow and clear the runway. The airport's decision to resume operations came after evaluating whether the surface condition of the runway would be suitable for takeoff and landing.

The Korea Meteorological Administration lifted its strong wind advisory for Jeju Island at 2 p.m.

Although airport operations have resumed, actual flight times are expected to vary depending on the conditions for each airline, as the wings and fuselages of aircraft need to be defrosted.

A number of snow-related traffic accidents were also reported in the regions along the west coast.

Meanwhile, a snowplow caught fire on a three-lane road in Damyang, South Jeolla Province. The fire was extinguished 27 minutes after the driver reported the accident.

On Thursday, a car slid on an icy road near a tunnel in Hwasun, South Jeolla Province, causing a series of collisions involving three other cars until it stopped at a guardrail. Two passengers in the accident were taken to the hospital.

Jeju Island also had eight traffic accidents, with 11 people injured in total.

By Choi Jeong-yoon(jychoi@heraldcorp.com)