Incheon International Airport experienced two complete shutdowns of aircraft takeoffs and landings due to balloons launched from North Korea.
According to Incheon International Airport Corporation, a balloon was spotted in the airspace near Incheon Airport at 5:25 AM on Monday. Runway operations were halted until it was confirmed that the balloon fell into the sea at 6:43 AM, as reported by Yonhap News.
Following this, at 6:55 AM, authorities discovered debris from the balloon in the airport’s logistics warehouse and airside, resulting in another temporary ban on takeoffs, which resumed at 7:08 AM.
The South Korean authorities suspend runway operations for safety reasons whenever a trash balloon approaches the airport within a certain distance.
From May of this year until yesterday, North Korea released 22 trash-filled balloons. According to the military authorities’ analysis, these balloons generally contain household waste like paper, plastic bags, and bottles, which don’t pose a safety risk.
However, multiple fire incidents occurred throughout the metropolitan area, presumably due to the balloons’ attached heat timers.
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