By Lee Hyo-sik
Staff Reporter
Safety rules on low-cost airlines will be strengthened next month in line with a growing number of air travelers here who fly on airplanes operated by budget air carriers.
The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs said Thursday that both local and foreign budget airlines carrying Korean passengers will be subject to a set of beefed-up safety checks in May.
It said airplanes operated by domestic air carriers will be thoroughly inspected before carrying passengers on international routes. A month after they launched new air services, safety inspectors will be onboard to check whether crew members adequately follow safety rules and procedures.
The ministry also plans to look into operation policies and safety-related facilities of foreign budget airlines. Six months after the flight launch, they will be again comprehensively examined for their compliance with safety rules.
The move comes after budget airlines at home and overseas have begun expanding flight services. Domestic low-cost air carriers have recently started launching international routes to Japan, China and other neighboring countries, riding on their success on domestic lines.
Currently, four local budget carriers are offering flight services, operating less than 10 airplanes each.
Additionally, some foreign budget airlines have recently made inroads into the domestic market to attract price-conscious Korean air travelers.
Promoting low ticket prices and simplified onboard services, budget air carriers have taken passengers away from the nation's two flagship carriers, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, who mostly fly from one domestic city to another. But there have always been safety concerns for airplanes operated by low-cost carriers.
Along with a set of standard rules applied to all budget airlines, the ministry plans to draw up three to seven additional safety checks specific to each company.
To help them provide high quality flight services, the government will open a flight training center for low-cost air carriers and offer safety-related consultations.