The cause of the cancellation (non-operation) of Aero K's flight to Narita, which occurred at Cheongju International Airport on the 7th, has been confirmed to likely be damage from foreign object damage (FOD). Previously, on the morning of the 5th at 8:15 a.m., flight RF312, which was heading to Osaka, took off from Cheongju International Airport but had to make an emergency return due to a crack in the cockpit window during ascent.
A representative from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport noted on the 12th, "We suspect it to be damage caused by foreign objects, and we have requested inspection of the areas around the runway at Cheongju International Airport." Korea Airport Service also stated, "We presume it to be damage due to external impact. Specific details will be investigated."
The damage to the aircraft affected the entire operational schedule of Aero K. After returning the aircraft from Osaka, Aero K announced via their website the non-operation of flight RF392 to Narita departing from Cheongju at 7:25 a.m. on the 7th, along with 24 delayed international flights, four delayed domestic flights, and four non-operational flights. The non-operational flights include 10 flights set from the 9th to the 19th, affecting more than 1,700 passengers.
Aero K operates two routes at Cheongju International Airport and Incheon International Airport. The routes from Cheongju connect to five locations in Japan (Narita, Osaka, Sapporo, Nagoya, Fukuoka) as well as two in Northeast Asia (Taiwan, Guiyang), two in Southeast Asia (Da Nang, Clark), and Mongolia (Ulaanbaatar). This month, the airline is preparing to launch routes to two locations in Japan (Obihiro, Ibaraki) and Qingdao, China, with plans for flights to Hiroshima in July and Kitakyushu, Kagoshima, and Hanamaki in September. The airline currently operates six aircraft.
Passengers who were scheduled to board the non-operational flight are reported to have been guided to alternate flights to Narita and other destinations on the same day. In addition to the 7:25 a.m. RF392 flight to Narita that was canceled, there were two additional flights scheduled for the same day: RF322 at 9:30 a.m. and RF324 at 4:15 p.m.
A representative from Aero K stated, "All passengers on the emergency-returned Osaka flight have completed boarding on alternate flights." The representative added that all fees incurred during the refund and boarding process for passengers of the non-operational Narita flight will be waived, including those related to travel agency bookings.