What caused the Incheon International Airport check-in system disruption?

Incheon International Airport Corp. said the malfunction began in an airline network connecting ticketing systems. The operator said the disruption appeared to have been caused by a glitch in the global network of American aviation service provider ARINC.

How many flights and travelers were affected by the Incheon airport outage?

As of 5 p.m., 38 flights had been delayed, leaving about 1,200 travelers stranded. Long lines formed at check-in counters, and some passengers complained that airlines had not told them when systems were expected to recover.

Check-in system at Incheon airport restored after hourslong disruption

Q: Which airlines had ticketing halted during the Incheon airport check-in disruption?

By the afternoon, ticketing was effectively halted at China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Air China. The airport later said all three had resumed ticketing operations.

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Summary

Incheon International Airport’s check-in system was fully restored by Friday afternoon after a malfunction disrupted passenger processing. The outage began at 4:30 a.m. in an airline network connecting ticketing systems, affecting airlines at both terminals. Ticketing operations resumed at China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Air China. By 5 p.m., 38 flights had been delayed and about 1,200 travelers were stranded; the airport operator said the disruption appeared linked to a glitch in ARINC’s global network.

Key Facts

Intermittent connectivity issues affected eight airlines at Terminal 1 and five airlines at Terminal 2, according to Incheon International Airport Corp.
Ticketing was effectively halted at China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Air China by the afternoon.
Passengers formed long lines at check-in counters, and some said their airlines had not provided expected recovery times despite approaching departures.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 30, 2026 4:08 pm KST
Updated Oct 30, 2026 8:33 pm KST

A disruption in the airline network at Incheon International Airport delays passenger processing for departing flights, Friday. Yonhap

A check-in system malfunction that occurred at Incheon International Airport was fully resolved by Friday afternoon, the airport operator said, after causing major delays in passenger processing.

The malfunction began at 4:30 a.m. in an airline network connecting ticketing systems at the country's main gateway, leading to intermittent connectivity issues for eight airlines at Terminal 1 and five airlines at Terminal 2, according to Incheon International Airport Corp.

By the afternoon, ticketing was effectively halted at three airlines -- China Southern Airlines, China Eastern Airlines and Air China.

The airport later said all three had resumed ticketing operations.

Long lines of passengers formed at check-in counters, with some protesting that their airlines were not informing them of expected recovery times despite their approaching departures.

As of 5 p.m., 38 flights had been delayed, leaving some 1,200 travelers stranded.

The airport operator said the disruption appeared to have been caused by a glitch in the global network of American aviation service provider ARINC.

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