7 Korean carriers fined for failing to provide accessible services to passengers with disabilities

Passenger jets of Jeju Air and Air Seoul, two of Korea's major low-cost carriers, are seen at Gimpo International Airport in Seoul in this file photo taken in 2021. Newsis

Seven airlines have been fined for failing to designate or operate priority seating and provide necessary information to passengers with mobility difficulties, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said, Wednesday.

The authority imposed a fine of 2.5 million won ($1,816) on each of the airlines. They are Jeju Air, T’way Air, Air Seoul, Air Premia, Air Busan, Eastar Jet and Aero K.

According to the ministry, the airlines violated an air traffic convenience standard for those with mobility issues. Air transport operators should comply with the standard to ensure the safety of passengers with disabilities, as stipulated by the Aviation Business Act.

Above all, air transport operators here are required to provide services that will facilitate easy access for passengers with disabilities when they board and disembark from planes. Airlines also need to provide their staff with proper training.

The ministry conducted an inspection of 10 airlines and two airport operators here from May 8 for about a month to look into whether they have complied with the standards. It found Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jin Air and the Korea Airports Corp. met the standards, but the aforementioned low-cost carriers (LCC) did not.

Aero K, Air Seoul and Air Premia not only managed priority seats inadequately but also failed to provide in-flight safety and service information in braille, according to the ministry.

In contrast, the Incheon International Airport Corp. and the Korea Airports Corp. operated special service centers for passengers with mobility issues, while supporting their movement within the airport. The companies were also active in expanding dedicated services at airports for travelers' comfort, according to the inspection by the ministry.

The airlines have since all updated their websites with the latest information on priority seating, distributed braille booklets onboard their planes and promptly rectified their inadequate business practices, the ministry said.

“We believe the latest inspection has served as an opportunity for airlines to enhance their services for more passengers,” an official from the ministry said.

“We will keep monitoring whether they continue to comply with the standards, and if necessary, we will toughen sanctions against those who violate it and other aviation rules here.”

According to an earlier survey conducted by the ministry, almost a third of the nation’s population is transport-vulnerable as of 2021. The survey indicated that over 15 million people, out of a total population of approximately 51 million at the end of 2021, experienced mobility difficulties.

The figure has been on a sharp rise for the past few years, up by around 800,000 between 2016 and 2021. This has raised growing calls for transport service operators to come up with more supportive measures for those with mobility difficulties.