Kim Hyun-bin began his journalism career at Arirang TV from 2012 to 2017, specializing in defense, foreign affairs and the economy. In 2018, he joined The Korea Times, covering society and business, and is currently responsible for embassy affairs.
Passengers stranded in Philippines for 20 hours sue Jeju Air
Jeju Air's Boeing 737-800. Courtesy of Jeju Air
By Kim Hyun-bin
By Kim Hyun-bin
Passengers on a Jeju Air flight have filed a compensation lawsuit against the airline as they were stranded in a Philippines airport for close to 20 hours due to an engine problem and were not given proper notice.
Seventy-seven passengers recently filed the suit with the Seoul Central District Court to demand the carrier pay 1.8 million won ($1,585) per person in compensation for the delay, according to a law firm representing them, Sunday.
On Jan. 21, flight 7C4604 was scheduled to depart from Clark International Airport to Incheon International Airport at 3 a.m. But the aircraft had trouble starting, and an emergency maintenance crew was dispatched to check on the engines.
The crewmembers told the passengers that they would depart soon, but after more hours of waiting due to the engine checkup, the passengers were informed of the cancellation at around 8 a.m.
The carrier informed the passengers that it would schedule another flight for a departure at 5 p.m., but the airline postponed the departure two more times first to 9 p.m. and then to 11 p.m.
The passengers claimed they faced problems attending school or work back in Korea due to the delay. “They suffered anxiety and fear due to the aircraft's engine failure, and were not able to receive proper notifications of the situation,” a lawyer told a local daily. “They couldn't sleep for 20 hours and were not able to go to work or had to cancel their preplanned schedules.”
Jeju Air claims it had fully abided by the airline's delay policies.
“We have not received a formal complaint of the situation so we do not have an official statement at this time,” an official from Jeju Air said. “We followed our protocol and provided the passengers with hotel rooms and food as well as an additional 50,000 won compensation for the delay.”