Lee Hyo-sik is Finance Desk editor at The Korea Times. He manages finance-related stories on macroeconomics, banks, stocks, bonds, crypto etc. He is passionate about covering what's happening in Korea's financial industry and explaining it to both Korean and non-Korean readers. You can reach him at leehs@koreatimes.co.kr. Your insights and feedbacks are always appreciated.
Jin Air faces stringent safety inspection
By Lee Hyo-sik
Ma Won, Jin Air CEO
By Lee Hyo-sik
Aviation authorities will conduct a stringent safety inspection on Jin Air and other domestic low-cost carriers (LCCs) this month, after a series of safety lapses.
The check is expected to raise consumer concerns over the carriers’ operational safety.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Monday that its inspectors will soon begin an unscheduled safety inspection on the nation’s six low-cost carriers ― Jeju Air, Jin Air, Air Busan, T’way Air, Eastar Jet and Air Incheon.
Air Incheon is a freight operator based at Incheon International Airport.
“A growing number of travelers flying with budget carriers complain about a string of incidents plaguing the airlines,” a transport ministry official said.
Flight cancellations and delays had mostly been caused by various safety lapses, he said.
“We need to ensure that low-cost airlines operate in accordance with rules and regulations,” the official said.
He said the ministry would examine how LCCs handled safety-related matters and whether the carriers abided by state regulations.
“Based on what we find from the inspection, we will introduce new safety guidelines to oblige budget airlines to invest more to enhance their safety records,” the official said.
It is expected to take about a week to examine each carrier.
Over the past few years, budget carriers have been mobilizing resources to expand routes and attract as many travelers as possible to catch up with the country's two flagship carriers ― Korean Air and Asiana Airlines.
However, the low-cost airlines have been criticized for paying less attention to operational safety of their planes and the training of pilots and other crew.
Pilots, maintenance crews and other personnel at LCCs are reportedly overworked to keep up with busy flight schedules.
On Sunday, a Jin Air flight bound for Gimhae International Airport from Cebu, carrying 163 passengers, was forced to return to the Philippines after about 30 minutes because of abnormal noise from a door.
Jin Air is the low-cost unit of Korean Air. Emily Cho, the youngest daughter of Korean Air Chairman Cho Yang-ho, is a senior vice president in charge of marketing and communications.
On Dec. 23, a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 bound for Jeju International Airport from Seoul suddenly nosedived, sending 152 passengers into panic, with dozens injured.
Initially, the malfunctioning of the self-pressurized system was believed to have caused the plunge. But after an initial inspection, the transport ministry said inspectors found no mechanical problem, suspecting pilot error was behind the incident.
Besides the two latest incidents, Jin Air, Jeju Air and other budget carriers have been blamed for many more flight cancellations and delays, resulting in many complaints.
The ministry said it would take administrative steps against Jin Air and Jeju Air when inspectors conclude their investigations into the Dec. 23 and Jan. 3 incidents.
The Aviation Act, which was revised in November 2014, enables the government to impose fines of up to 600 million won on airlines violating state-set safety guidelines, up from the 10 million won.