"Asiana Passenger Plane Delayed 15 Hours Due to Lost Passport in Gijang"

Captain's Passport Lost During Pre-Departure Check
Replacement Captain Dispatched, Causing 15-Hour Flight Delay

An Asiana Airlines passenger plane attempting to enter South Korea from the Philippines was delayed for over 15 hours due to the captain losing his passport.

On the 28th, Yonhap News reported, citing the aviation industry, about the incident that occurred at 1:35 a.m. (local time) in the Philippines. At that time, Asiana Airlines flight OZ708 from Clark, Philippines to Incheon was preparing for departure, but the captain was unable to leave the country after losing his passport. The captain thoroughly searched his belongings and surroundings but ultimately could not find the passport.

The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. Asiana Airlines aircraft.

Asiana Airlines decided to send a replacement captain locally and changed the departure time of the flight to 4:55 p.m. the same day, 15 hours and 20 minutes later than originally scheduled. The 135 passengers who were supposed to board the flight were guided by Asiana Airlines to stay at a hotel near the airport. Asiana Airlines stated, "We apologize for the inconvenience caused to our customers."

Meanwhile, similar delays due to captains not carrying their passports happen rarely. On the 22nd, United Airlines flight UA198 from Los Angeles (LA), USA to Shanghai, China made an emergency landing at San Francisco International Airport three hours into the flight because the captain mistakenly did not bring his passport. The flight was originally scheduled to arrive in Shanghai at 6:30 p.m. on the 23rd but only reached its destination at 12:30 a.m. on the 24th, six hours late. According to foreign media reports, the airline issued $30 meal vouchers to passengers after landing in San Francisco, and passengers waited at the airport for about three hours. Afterwards, passengers boarded another flight to Shanghai piloted by a different captain. Chinese media Zhonghua Net estimated that the emergency landing caused a fuel loss of about 300,000 yuan (approximately 60.65 million KRW). Additionally, in September 2019, a T'way Air flight departing from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to Incheon Airport was delayed for about 11 hours due to the captain losing his passport.