(MENAFN) Airport personnel at 15 South Korean airports, including Incheon—the country's primary international gateway—began an indefinite strike Wednesday, according to South Korean media.

The labor action arrives just days before the Chuseok holiday in early October, a peak travel period expected to see record passenger volumes. Approximately 2,000 workers involved in sanitation, traffic control, fire safety, mechanical facility management, and terminal operations participated in the walkout.

Strikers are pressing for a shift from the existing three-team, two-shift schedule to a four-team, two-shift system, along with increased hiring and better treatment for employees working under airport subsidiaries.

Although flights operated normally on Wednesday, industry experts warned that a prolonged strike could severely disrupt airport operations. At Incheon Airport alone, nearly 900 employees joined the strike, prompting authorities to deploy 408 replacement workers to maintain passenger check-in and flight services without significant delays.

Officials have cautioned that a prolonged strike could lead to significant congestion, particularly as around 5.26 million passengers are anticipated to travel through the country’s 15 airports over the three-day Chuseok holiday.

Both Korea Airports Corp. and Incheon International Airport Corp. confirmed they are collaborating with partners and subsidiaries to minimize inconvenience for travelers.

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