Korean Air grappling with maintenance lapses

By Lee Hyo-sik

Korean Air has been grappling with a series of maintenance lapses in recent weeks, which have forced some of its planes to return to airports after takeoff.

These incidents have greatly inconvenienced passengers and raised public concern over the carrier’s operational safety, dealing a blow to company President Walter Cho who took control of Korea’s largest carrier Jan. 11.

Industry analysts say a wide range of problems could occur during flights as planes are composed of hundreds of thousands of electronic and mechanical parts.

Korean Air’s aging fleet has become more prone to various safety-related malfunctions, according to the analysts, who said poor maintenance makes things go from bad to worse.

On Feb. 28, a Korean Air flight bound for Fiji was forced to return to Incheon International Airport about six hours after takeoff, inconveniencing 115 passengers.

The pilots of the Airbus 330-200 decided to return to Incheon after a warning alert about the plane’s hydraulic system. Upon arrival, passengers had to board another airplane and arrived in Fiji, 10 hours and 30 minutes later than initially scheduled.

On the same day, a Korean Air Boeing 777-300 aircraft bound for Singapore had to return to Manila International Airport, nearly three hours after takeoff, because some passengers complained about the smell of something burning. It was later found that the smell was caused by excessive heat in the internal heating system.

On Feb. 20, a Korean Air Boeing 747-400 bound for Bangkok was forced to abort takeoff at Incheon airport after detecting a problem with the landing gear.

The carrier’s low-cost unit, Jin Air, has been no exception to maintenance lapses in recent months.

For instance, Jin Air ordered a Boeing 777-200 plane bound for the Philippines to return to Incheon Feb. 8 after a fire alarm sensor malfunctioned. The aircraft was manufactured in May 2005.

“It is not unusual for planes to abort flights for various mechanical problems because some parts among the hundreds of thousands of the plane may not function properly,” said an airline industry official, who declined to be named. “The carriers these days are beginning to deal with a growing number of maintenance-related problems in line with the aging of their airplanes.”

The analyst also said Korean Air and other airlines have become more sensitive toward safety-related issues. “In the past, minor troubles could have been ignored if they posed no flight risks. But these days, pilots act more cautiously and prefer to ground planes whenever something goes wrong, regardless of the extent of the severity.”

A Korean Air official said that “Among hundreds of thousands of parts making up an airplane, some may not work properly at times.”

“Nonetheless, we are doing everything we can to ensure the safety of every single flight and provide on-time, pleasant flight services to our customers. We will continue to remain vigilant,” he said.