South Korea Tells Budget Airlines to Tighten Safety After Crash
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Following the deadly Jeju Air accident, the government ordered low cost carriers to reduce flight times, boost pilot training and expand maintenance crews.
South Korea has told its low-cost carriers to prioritize safety over profit after the deadly crash of a Jeju Air plane in South Korea last month, in an effort to shore up confidence in the country’s aviation industry.
In a meeting with South Korea’s nine budget airlines on Thursday, the nation’s transportation ministry demanded that they take measures to reduce flight hours, improve pilot training and increase the number of maintenance workers. The ministry stopped short of issuing formal targets, instead leaving it for airlines to develop their own proposals.
Jeju Air said it would reduce the average daily flight time of its planes to 12.8 hours from 14 per day, according to the ministry. The carrier will also add 41 maintenance workers to increase the total number to 350, it said.
The crash, in which a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 smashed into a concrete wall at Muan International Airport, killing 179 people, was the worst aviation disaster on South Korean soil. And it was the deadliest worldwide since that of Lion Air Flight 610 in 2018, when all 189 people onboard died. Travel agencies say that people have canceled their trips in the weeks since, according to local media.
While there is no evidence indicating that poor maintenance or pilot error was a factor in the crash, investigators will look at all aspects of the flight. That includes the plane’s repair history and whether a bird strike knocked out its engines and electrical systems.
Airlines that ignore safety will be shunned by travelers and disappear, the ministry said in a statement. It said it would suspend flight certificates for carriers that do not adhere to safety standards.