South Korea: Jeju Air to cut 1,900 flights by March to manage safety checks after fatal crash

After the devastating crash of one of its aircraft, South Korea’s Jeju Air on Friday declared that it would slash around 1,900 domestic and international flights in the next couple of months to prioritise operational safety checks.

Flight 2216 from Bangkok to Muan broke up in a fiery ball of flames after colliding with a concrete installation at the end of the runway following a mayday call and emergency belly-landing.

Jeju Air management support division head Song Kyung-hoon said, “As for international flights, the reductions will primarily occur on major routes with high frequencies, such as those to Japan and South-east Asia.”

“We are currently undergoing necessary administrative procedures. Once these are completed, we will guide reserved passengers to book alternative flights of their choice.”

How many flights will be affected?

While specific routes were not disclosed, the airline plans to minimize passenger inconvenience by concentrating reductions on international routes with more than two daily flights. Jeju Air’s key routes include destinations such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka in Japan, as well as Da Nang in Vietnam.

Meanwhile, domestic flights run by Jeju Air will be hit first as reductions could begin as early as next week. International flights will be reduced by the third week of January as Jeju Air plans to cut down 15 per cent of operations during the winter operation.

The budget airline previously revealed that around 67,000 reservations were cancelled between December 29, shortly after the tragedy, and the afternoon of December 30. This included 33,000 domestic and 34,000 international bookings, sparking concerns about a potential liquidity crisis.

Jeju Air wreckage cleanup begins

South Korean investigators said Friday they expected to find more human remains as they began lifting the wreckage of the Jeju Air jet that crashed on landing last weekend killing all but two of the 181 passengers and crew aboard.

Using large yellow cranes, investigators began lifting sections of the plane’s scorched fuselage Friday, including what appeared to be an engine and the tail section.

“Today, we will lift the tail section of the plane,” said Na Won-ho, head of investigations for the South Jeolla provincial police.

“We expect there may be remains found in that section,” he told a press conference at Muan International Airport, where the crash happened.

“For all that to be complete and to have the results, we must wait until tomorrow.”

With inputs from AFP