300 Korean Air passengers stranded in London for 21 hours

Industry

300 Korean Air passengers stranded in London for 21 hours

Published: 20 Aug. 2024, 13:39 Updated: 21 Aug. 2024, 18:56

A Korean Air Boeing 787-9 takes off from an airfield. [KOREAN AIR]

Korean Air has come under criticism following the cancellation of a flight to Korea on Sunday that left over 300 passengers stranded in London for 21 hours and 5 minutes after a catering vehicle collided with one of the carrier's aircraft.

Passengers expressed frustration over the airline's handling of the situation. They complained of inadequate communication, stating that they were only informed of a two-hour delay just before departure and then told of the cancellation at the last minute.

After spending the night in accommodation provided by Korean Air, passengers returned to the airport the following day. However, they were met with further delays and confusion, as they were informed of another delay without being given a specific gate number, despite having already completed all departure procedures.

"The delay was due to maintenance and a wait for instructions from the plane's manufacturer, Boeing," a spokesperson for the airline explained. "We provided accommodation and regular updates about the delay, as we anticipated a lengthy disruption."

Correction, August 21: Date of incident changed to Sunday.

BY YOON SEUNG-JIN [yoon.seungjin@joongang.co.kr]