Kaohsiung Airport runway cracks lead to emergency repairs, affecting 6 flights

Kaohsiung International Airport experienced disruptions today when cracks were discovered in its runway pavement during a pre-opening inspection. To ensure flight safety, a preventative emergency repair was carried out from 10:15 AM to 11:25 AM.

The runway closure led to six flights being affected. International flights included Thai Lion Air SL392 to Sapporo and Cathay Pacific CX431 and Hong Kong Express UO131, both to Hong Kong. Taiwan Tigerair IT729 from Okinawa to Kaohsiung was also impacted. Domestically, Mandarin Airlines flights AE335 from Kaohsiung to Penghu and AE334 from Penghu to Kaohsiung were affected.

During the closure, affected flights circled offshore awaiting clearance to land. The Kaohsiung International Airport Administration issued a flight notice and informed the relevant airlines about the situation.

Following the completion of the emergency repairs, airport operations are expected to return to normal. The incident highlights the ongoing need for diligent maintenance of critical infrastructure like airport runways.