"Prohibited Items Line Up in School Trip Luggage"... Baggage Chaos Halts Gimpo Airport

Many Prohibited Items Found at Security Checkpoint
Flammable and Combustible Materials Are Not Allowed

On the morning of the 24th, dozens of flights departing from Gimpo Airport's domestic terminal were delayed. The incident occurred after a large number of prohibited items were found in the luggage of students going on a school trip.

According to Korea Airports Corporation, starting around 8:30 a.m. that day, 29 flights scheduled to depart from Gimpo Airport were delayed by up to an hour. Among them, 20 flights were bound for Jeju.

The cause of the flight delays was the discovery of a significant number of suspected prohibited items during the X-ray screening of checked luggage brought by passengers. The departure times were delayed as the inspection process took longer due to the need to open and examine each piece of luggage individually.

As of 10 a.m. on the 24th, most flights are experiencing delays, and the delay situation is expected to continue until late afternoon.

In the early stages of the delay, rumors spread that the conveyor belt handling checked luggage had broken down. However, this was confirmed to be false.

Most of the suspected prohibited items were found in the checked luggage of students going on school trips. According to multiple media reports, the list of items included sprays, aerosols, and cooking utensils.

These items contain flammable or combustible substances and are classified as "prohibited items for aircraft." Therefore, transporting them as checked luggage or carrying them as hand luggage into the cabin is prohibited.

Currently, Gimpo Airport is reportedly increasing the speed of item screening by operating two additional X-ray machines for personal screening in addition to the existing four X-ray machines. On that day, the total number of domestic passengers departing from Gimpo Airport was about 29,400, of which approximately 24,000 were part of school trip groups.

School Trips Resumed After 3 Years

Strengthened baggage screening at Gimpo International Airport is causing consecutive flight delays. As of 10 a.m. on the 24th, most flights are delayed, and the delay situation is expected to continue until late afternoon. The photo shows the domestic boarding gate at Gimpo Airport on the same day.

Meanwhile, with the endemic phase underway and schools fully reopening, school trips have almost returned to normal this year.

According to the Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education and others, due to the decline in COVID-19 cases, overnight programs (school trips) have been fully resumed this year at elementary, middle, and high schools in the region.

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education also received 601 school trip plans from schools in March, which is three times the 201 plans submitted last year.

However, the sharply increased cost of school trips amid rising prices remains a significant burden for parents.

The education authorities have significantly increased support funds for school trips for low-income students this year.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Office of Education raised the school trip support funds for students from households receiving basic living security from 130,000 won for elementary, 180,000 won for middle, and 300,000 won for high school students last year to 240,000 won, 280,000 won, and 470,000 won respectively this year.

The timing of the support payments was also changed from the end of the semester (July and December) to the beginning of the semester (April and September), switching from post-payment to advance payment.