T’way Airlines A330-300 aircraft
SEOUL, June 21 (Korea Bizwire) – The government on Friday ordered low-cost carrier T’way Air to come up with measures to address repeated safety and flight delay issues.
The Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport said it has conducted a special inspection of T’way Air and has ordered the airline to implement safety measures by next month.
The airline experienced four flight delay incidents last week alone, affecting hundreds of international passengers on flights between South Korea and overseas destinations, including Japan and Thailand, due to maintenance problems.
Air safety authorities also plan to implement special safety management for T’way Air, which plans to soon launch four routes to Europe, and low-cost carrier Air Premia, which is expanding its long-haul routes, particularly to North America.
T’way Air will begin flights to Rome, Paris, Barcelona and Frankfurt, Germany, later this year. Air Premia is scheduled to launch flights to Seattle and Honolulu next year.
T’way will take over the European routes from domestic industry leader Korean Air Co. as part of conditions set by the European Union over Korean Air’s envisioned merger with No. 2 player Asiana Airlines Inc.
Further, the ministry plans to conduct a thorough investigation into the delay and cancellation incidents of T’way Air and Air Premia during the summer season and impose penalties, such as fines, if they fail to fulfill consumer protection obligation measures.
The ministry noted that consumer dissatisfaction within the air travel industry has increased of late, and it plans to push for the enhancement of safety operations of the airline industry.
A spokesperson of theEuropean Union Aviation Safety Agency has told Yonhap News Agency that the organization will be “ready to react appropriately” against possible flight delay and maintenance issues of the European operation of T’way Air.
(Yonhap)
