Transport Minister Park Sang-woo speaks to the families of victims of the Jeju Air crash at Muan International Airport on Dec. 31, 2024. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Jan. 23 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea plans to strengthen its oversight of low-cost carriers (LCCs) and impose strict penalties on airlines failing to meet enhanced operational safety standards, the government said Thursday, following last month’s Jeju Air crash.
In a meeting with CEOs of nine domestic LCCs, including Jeju Air, T’way Air, Eastar Jet and Jin Air, Transport Minister Park Sang-woo outlined the plan to adopt stricter safety standards for LCCs, which have come under scrutiny after the Dec. 29 accident that claimed 179 lives.
Authorities aim to improve the criteria for calculating the skill level of maintenance personnel. Current regulations consider anyone with more than two years of experience as being “skilled,” a standard deemed insufficient by industry observers.
The ministry will also enhance the vetting process for new aircraft acquisitions and enforce stricter evaluations for approving new flight routes.
If an airline is found with substandard safety levels during inspections, the government plans to impose tough penalties, including suspension of operational certificates. In addition, airlines with frequent safety incidents or regulatory violations will be subject to public disclosure of safety-related information.
LCCs also announced plans to secure additional maintenance time by reducing aircraft utilization rates.
Jeju Air said it will reduce its daily average aircraft operating hours from 14 hours to 12.8 hours and expand its maintenance workforce from 309 to 350 personnel by the end of this year.
The apparent landing gear malfunction of the crashed Boeing B737-800 aircraft has raised concerns that Jeju Air might have prioritized operations over sufficient maintenance time, potentially compromising safety.
The plane involved in the crash was found to have operated 13 flights in the 48 hours prior to the incident.
(Yonhap)
