AirAsia: Landing at wrong airport was a deliberate diversion due to weather
AirAsia X, the long-haul, low-cost subsidiary of AirAsia, has clarified that the reason its flight bound for Incheon Airport (ICN) landed at Gimpo Airport (GMP) was due to refueling.
Flight D7506 left Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) at 11:51 local time on August 13, 2025, and after a flight time of seven hours, arrived at Gimpo Airport. However, the flight’s original intended destination was Incheon Airport (ICN), 43 kilometers away.
Initial media reports suggested that AirAsia X had ‘mistakenly’ landed the aircraft in Gimpo, due to the fact that passengers were not made aware that the flight had to be diverted. Some passengers have claimed that the cabin crew on the flight were also unaware of the diversion.
On August 15, 2025, AirAsia released an official statement regarding the flight, stating that the diversion was intended for refuelling, which was caused by congestion due to weather conditions at Incheon Airport.
The carrier also said that a ‘miscommunication’ amongst cabin crew occurred, which presumably caused the initial confusion.
“Safety is our highest priority, and the captain acted in full accordance with standard operating procedures, including keeping guests informed of the diversion initially in English,” the airline said. “A miscommunication occurred in the cabin crew announcement upon landing, which the captain promptly clarified, confirming the diversion to Gimpo Airport due to adverse weather and refuelling.”
AirAsia added that the captain also apologized to guests for the inconvenience, offering them reassurance that landing in Gimpo was simply to refuel and that the aircraft would then proceed to its original destination.
The A330-300 subsequently took off for Incheon Airport, where passengers finally disembarked.
AirAsia X CEO Benyamin Ismail has said that the airline will review its internal announcements and onboard information-sharing processes to ensure greater clarity in such situations.
“We thank our guests for their understanding and cooperation during this operational adjustment, which was necessary to ensure the safety of everyone on board,” Ismail said. “As a good will gesture, AAX will be extending travel vouchers and will be reaching out to the affected guests directly.”
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The post AirAsia: Landing at wrong airport was a deliberate diversion due to weather appeared first on AeroTime.
AirAsia X, the long-haul, low-cost subsidiary of AirAsia, has clarified that the reason its flight bound for Incheon…
The post AirAsia: Landing at wrong airport was a deliberate diversion due to weather appeared first on AeroTime.
