Jeju Air to Suspend Nearly 2,000 Flights Following Fatal Crash in South Korea

south korea - Jeju Air, a low-cost airline in South Korea, has announced that it will suspend a total of 1,878 flights in order to enhance flight safety after a fatal crash that claimed 179 lives.

In South Korea, 179 people lost their lives as a result of a crash involving a Jeju Air plane with 181 passengers on board. The low-cost airline Jeju Air announced that it will suspend a total of 1,878 flights in the first quarter of the year to enhance flight safety. The repercussions of the plane crash, where 179 people lost their lives at Muan International Airport in South Korea, continue, and the low-cost airline involved in the accident, Jeju Air, has taken action to improve flight safety.

The company stated that a total of 838 domestic flights and 1,040 international flights will be canceled during the period until March 29 in order to ensure flight safety and improve punctuality. The statement also mentioned that they will try to minimize the inconvenience to passengers by making schedule adjustments or providing refunds for canceled flights.

The Jeju Air flight 7C2216, a Boeing 737-800 aircraft departing from Bangkok, Thailand, crashed into a wall while landing at Muan International Airport on December 29. While 179 people lost their lives in the accident, only 2 cabin crew members survived with injuries.

The South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport had announced that the pilot requested emergency landing immediately after the bird strike warning from the control tower and landed with the landing gear retracted.

An investigation had been launched to determine the exact cause of the crash. Concerns about safety had increased as initial investigations revealed that the aircraft involved in the accident had completed 13 flights in the 48 hours leading up to the incident. It was also revealed that Jeju Air was the domestic airline with the most flight delays due to maintenance in the first half of 2024.

After the developments raised safety concerns, Jeju Air had announced its plans to reduce flight numbers by 10-15% until March.