In brief
Authorities have urged low-cost carriers to prioritize safety to restore public confidence following the deadly incident.
Following the December tragedy involving Jeju Air, where a Boeing 737-800 crashed at Muan International Airport claiming 179 lives, South Korea's transportation ministry has mandated major safety improvements among low-cost airlines. During a recent meeting with the nation's nine budget carriers, the ministry requested they lower average flight times, boost pilot training, and hire more maintenance staff.Jeju Air has agreed to cut its average daily flight time from 14 hours to 12.8 hours and plans to add 41 workers to its maintenance crew, bringing the total to 350. The crash is noted as the worst aviation disaster in South Korea’s history and the deadliest worldwide since the Lion Air Flight 610 incident in 2018.Despite the crash, investigators have yet to confirm poor maintenance or pilot errors contributed to the tragedy; they will scrutinize every aspect of the flight's operations—including maintenance history and potential environmental factors such as bird strikes. The transport ministry warned that airlines failing to uphold safety protocols risk losing their operating licenses, emphasizing that passenger safety must take precedence over profit.
