(LEAD) Heavy snow grounds flights at Jeju airport, stranding about 11,000 passengers

▲ Passengers wait for the resumption of flights at Jeju International Airport on Feb. 8, 2026, as heavy snow grounded flights on South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju. (Yonhap)

▲ This photo, taken Feb. 8, 2026, shows an electronic board indicating cancellations and delays in flights at Jeju International Airport due to heavy snow. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) Jeju-heavy snow

(LEAD) Heavy snow grounds flights at Jeju airport, stranding about 11,000 passengers

(ATTN: UPDATES with more details in para 5)

JEJU, Feb. 8 (Yonhap) -- Heavy snow grounded flights at Jeju International Airport on Sunday, stranding an estimated 11,000 passengers on South Korea's southern resort island, officials said.

Runway operations at Jeju International Airport were suspended until 11 a.m. due to heavy snow and strong winds, according to the airport operator.

Of the 461 flights scheduled, 163 inbound and outbound flights were canceled and five aircraft were diverted, leaving thousands of passengers stranded at the airport.

Airport officials deployed snow-removal vehicles to clear runways, but flight operations were expected to remain disrupted even after services resumed as the snowstorm continued.

Jeju International Airport and the provincial government are ready to provide emergency supplies to support stranded passengers, if needed. The airport possesses some 2,700 blankets, 1,500 mattresses and 1,000 bottles of water, while the provincial government also holds 2,158 blankets and 2,158 mattresses for emergency use.

A heavy snow warning was in effect for Jeju's mountainous areas. Weather officials said areas near Mount Halla received 21.5 centimeters of snow over the past 24 hours as of noon.

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