[News Today] DE-ICING CAUSES 10-HR FLIGHT DELAYS

[LEAD]
Heavy snow over the last two days has disrupted numerous flights as well. Extensive delays in snow removal from aircraft led to significant inconvenience, trapping some passengers inside for up to ten hours.

[REPORT]
Inside a cabin of a flight at Incheon bound for Macao on Tuesday night, this plane was supposed to depart at 11:30 a.m. but it was delayed repeatedly until late at night.

Flight attendants explained the situation, but the passengers who had remained trapped inside the plane for nearly ten hours can't hold back their complaints.

"(It snowed again, so they have to start de-icing again.) Let's go. Let's get off the plane!"

Passenger of a delayed flight/
People were growing tired and some started having difficulties breathing. We were trapped inside with nothing to do.

When a flight was finally cancelled after a nine-hour wait, another passenger was seen up in arms, frustrated at the abysmal response from the airport and the airlines.

Passenger of a delayed flight/
Sure it was a natural disaster but by that time, subway and bus operations had ended. They should've provided, at the very least, an explanation.

Airlines explained that it took longer than usual to de-ice the planes before takeoff, which caused a string of delays.

An aircraft is boarded with passengers before moving to a de-icing spot to remove the snow and ice and applying anti-icing agents. A long wait with passengers on board is inevitable if several planes arrive almost simultaneously in a limited space.

Prof. Kim Kyu-wang/ Hanseo Univ.
If boarding is delayed by a reasonable time, passengers would spend less time on the plane. You can utilize 'tarmac delay rule', for example, provide drinks after select hours. Airlines could've been more flexible to relieve complaints.

Flight services were severely disrupted when two days of heavy snow caused more than one thousand flights to be cancelled or delayed.