In some related news, now...local authorities usually focus on getting as many people as possible to the island, but last week, it was just the opposite. Everyone at the airport was working feverishly to get the tens of thousands of people that had been stranded here off Jeju ASAP. Mike Laidman reports.
A record-breaking amount of snow hit the island over the weekend, and has finally all been cleared from the Jeju International Airport runway.
A fully-loaded airplane takes off with a thunderous roar, and soon, another slows its descent and comes in to land.
There’s a constant stream of aircraft taking off and landing, dressed in the liveries of not only Korean, but many international airlines, as well.
With the night flying restriction at the (김포) Gimpo, (김해) Gimhae, and (제주) Jeju International Airports lifted, the runways at the three airports were busy for 24 hours on Tuesday and Wednesday.
During the busiest time on Tuesday night, there were 34 planes sharing the Jeju Airport’s single runway.
[Camera]
Kim Seung-cheol
There was a plane either taking off or landing an average of every one minute and forty seconds during this time, meaning the maximum number of hourly aircraft was at its limit.
For the Jeju International Airport, this maximum is 34, referring to the number of planes that can be taxiing on the runway at once.
On Wednesday, more than 580 flights took off and landed, about 100 more than usual.
INTERVIEW
Representative / Jeju International Airport
The runway capacity is determined by national authorities. We cannot exceed the limit. We were allowed up to 34 flights per hour.
< 제주공항공사 관계자 >
이 스케줄이 반영됐다는 거는 국가에서 정한 수용 능력이지 않습니까? 그 능력을 넘어서까지 스케줄을 절대 배정할 수가 없어요. 시간당 34회는 넘지 않게 다 배정돼 들어가 있는거죠.
[Reporter]
Mike Laidman
To help get the thousands of stranded passengers home, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport permitted night flights between Jeju Island and the Gimpo and Gimhae International Airports until 6 a.m. on Wednesday.
Mike Laidman, KCTV