Korean flights to Hong Kong back to normal
Passengers queue as the airport reopened a day after flights were halted due to a protest, at Hong Kong International Airport, China August 13, 2019. Reuters
South Korean airlines on Tuesday resumed their services on the routes to Hong Kong following an unprecedented closure of the local airport a day before caused by demonstrators' occupation of it in protest against a bill that would allow extraditions to mainland China, the transport ministry here said.
On Monday, Hong Kong aviation authorities issued a "notice to airmen" saying the Hong Kong International Airport will remain closed from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. the following day as thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators took over the airport's main terminal.
"Airlines resumed flight services at the Hong Kong airport as of 7:00 a.m. this morning earlier than the announced hour by the local authorities. All scheduled flights are now in operation," a ministry official said.
Twenty-three flights ― 10 by domestic airlines and 13 by foreign airlines ― bound for Hong Kong from Korean airports were affected by the occupation.
Local airlines plan to supply alternative flights to some 1,000 Koreans whose flights to Korea were canceled Monday, he said.
Protestors occupied the airport, leading to the disruption of one of the busiest airports in Asia following violent clashes with police over the weekend. (Yonhap)