By Lee Hyo-sik
Jeju Air, the country’s largest budget carrier, is facing a public relations disaster after one of its pilots did not turn on a pressurization device after takeoff, causing severe pain to some passengers.
Jeju Air flight 107, bound for Jeju Island, took off from Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul at 9:00 a.m., Thursday carrying 190 passengers and crew. But the captain of the airplane forgot to switch on a pressurization device, which increases pressure inside the cabin so that those on the plane feel like they are flying at a lower altitude.
Five minutes after takeoff, passengers sitting in the rear end of the plane began complaining about severe pain in their ears. The pilot turned the device on only after being notified by flight attendants of the situation.
However, some 20 passengers continued to suffer the pain in their eardrums throughout the flight, which lasted for nearly an hour.
After the airplane landed at Jeju International Airport, five passengers were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Some 20 passengers demanded the airline return airfares for the incident.
One female passenger said she suffered from excruciating pain throughout the flight, insisting that flight attendants did not properly care for her and other passengers. “They just kept giving us water and soft drinks. They are totally ill-equipped to deal with medical emergencies,” she said.
Another passenger also criticized the airline for its lack of preparedness for emergency situations. “First of all, the captain responsible for the incident should be severely disciplined. Jeju Air should take all possible measures to prevent something like this from happening again,” he said.
The airline said it was a simple error on the part of the pilot, stressing that there was nothing wrong with the aircraft. “It is unfortunate that some passengers experienced discomfort as the plane’s pressurization device was turned on later than it should have been,” a Jeju Air spokesman said.
He said the pilot has been banned from taking control of the cockpit following the incident, and the company will take further disciplinary action against him.