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JEJU AIR Co. said Thursday (01/02), 2025 it plans to reduce flight operations starting next week in response to growing concerns over the leading low-cost carrier’s flight safety following a fatal crash this week.
According to Song Kyung-hoon, head of Jeju Air’s management support office, told a press conference that the company is preparing to reduce domestic flights starting next week and international flights from the third week of this month.
A landing gear malfunction on a Jeju Air B737-800 that crashed Sunday has raised concerns that the airline may be prioritizing operations over proper maintenance, potentially compromising safety.
The plane involved in the crash, which killed 179 people, had made 13 flights in the 48 hours before the incident. Jeju Air had previously announced plans to reduce flight operations by 10-15 percent by March in order to improve operational safety.
Asked about a possible cash crunch due to a wave of ticket cancellations, Song acknowledged that the number of cancellations had increased from before, but new bookings were still coming in.
Regarding emergency financial assistance to the families of the victims, Song said that Jeju Air is discussing the methods and procedures with the families.
“Once the discussion is completed, we will guide them in preparing the necessary documents to ensure the quick disbursement of funds,” he said.
Responding to criticism about possible shortcomings in aircraft maintenance, Song said the company previously had a sufficient number of highly skilled maintenance technicians and provided opportunities for them to continue working even after retirement.
“However, the COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible for us to maintain those contracts,” he said.
“As a result, there were periods when we were unable to meet the Department of Transportation’s recommended standard of maintaining 12 technicians per aircraft,” he concluded. [antaranews/photo special]
