Air travel in South Korea experienced significant disruptions as Korean Air and Philippine Airlines cancelled seven flights from Incheon International Airport and Jeju International Airport. The cancellations affected routes to New York, Boston, Manila, Cheongju, and Yeosu, impacting both international and domestic passengers. These events occurred across multiple days in late February 2026.
On February 25, 2026, reports emerged of seven flight cancellations in South Korea, highlighting operational challenges at the nation's key airports. Incheon International Airport, the primary hub near Seoul, saw five international departures removed from schedules, primarily long-haul services to North America and the Philippines.
Specific cancellations at Incheon included Korean Air flight KAL85 to John F Kennedy International Airport in New York, cancelled on Sunday at 7:30 PM KST and again on Monday at 7:30 PM KST, both operated by Airbus A380 aircraft. Another New York-bound flight, KAL81, scheduled for Monday at 10:00 AM KST, also used an Airbus A380 and was cancelled. Korean Air's KAL91 to Boston Logan International Airport, set for Monday at 9:10 AM KST with a Boeing 777-300ER, faced the same fate. Additionally, Philippine Airlines flight PAL403 to Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila, planned for Monday at 8:35 PM KST on an Airbus A330-300, was cancelled.
At Jeju International Airport, two domestic flights were affected. Korean Air cancelled KAL1708 to Cheongju on Tuesday at 11:15 AM KST and KAL1636 to Yeosu on Tuesday at 1:15 PM KST, both using Bombardier CS300 aircraft. These disruptions extended beyond international routes, impacting regional connectivity within South Korea.
Korean Air accounted for six of the cancellations, while Philippine Airlines handled one. The repeated cancellations on the New York route, involving large widebody aircraft, underscored ongoing operational issues rather than isolated incidents. Passengers faced rebooking challenges, longer connection times, and reduced seat availability on alternatives. The events affected hundreds per flight due to aircraft capacities and highlighted the interconnected nature of global and domestic aviation networks.
No specific reasons for the cancellations were detailed in reports, but the involvement of various aircraft types suggested network-level adjustments, including fleet rebalancing and maintenance planning.
