Severe flight disruptions stranded more than 1,400 passengers in Kinmen County as dense fog grounded flights for a second consecutive day. The situation created major travel delays following the busy Tomb Sweeping Festival holiday period.
Thick fog continued to reduce visibility across the island, which lies close to the Chinese city of Xiamen. These weather conditions significantly disrupted airport operations and delayed recovery efforts after the holiday travel surge. As a result, Kinmen Airport canceled two flights and delayed several others by mid-morning, according to official flight data. Although visibility improved later in the day, earlier flight disruptions continued affecting passengers attempting to leave.
Authorities reported that 658 passengers were waiting for standby seats on flights to Taipei amid heavy demand. In addition, 379 passengers aimed to reach Taichung, while another 370 travelers sought to return to Kaohsiung. Furthermore, the ongoing flight disruptions followed extensive cancellations the previous day, which marked the end of the holiday period. Officials confirmed that 22 flights were canceled earlier, affecting more than 2,100 travelers across multiple routes.
In response, transportation authorities deployed ferry services connecting Kinmen to Taichung to help ease passenger congestion. However, these ferries could not accommodate the large number of stranded individuals waiting to return home. At the same time, passengers expressed frustration over long waiting times and limited availability of confirmed seats. One traveler reported waiting at the airport since the previous morning after his scheduled flight was canceled unexpectedly.
Additionally, the traveler explained that only a small number of standby passengers secured seats on subsequent flights. He added that the earliest confirmed bookings were not available until later in the week. Consequently, many stranded passengers called on authorities to arrange additional flights or increase ferry capacity. They argued that stronger contingency measures could help reduce delays during similar weather-related disruptions.
Meanwhile, aviation experts noted that Kinmen frequently experiences dense fog due to its coastal location and humid climate conditions. These seasonal weather patterns often lead to recurring flight disruptions, especially during peak travel periods. Moreover, analysts emphasized that such disruptions can affect regional connectivity, tourism flows, and airline scheduling efficiency. Prolonged delays also place pressure on airport infrastructure and passenger management systems.
Officials continue monitoring weather conditions while coordinating with airlines to gradually restore normal operations. Authorities may also review emergency response plans to better handle future flight disruptions during high-demand travel seasons.
