South Korean authorities will increase their scrutiny of the country’s low-cost airline sector, including tightening the criteria for MRO workers and enforcing stricter rules on network expansion.
The measures, announced on 23 January, follows a meeting of the leaders of nine South Korean low-cost carrier, and comes nearly a month after the deadly crash of a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 that killed 179 passengers and crew.
South Korean transport minister Park Sang-woo says his ministry plans to “concentrate all its capabilities” to beefing up safety standards among low-cost airlines, which he says accounts for more than half of the country’s airline sector.
Park also warns that if low-cost airlines “are only concerned with profits and do not implement fundamental safety reforms”, the future of the country’s airline sector “cannot be guaranteed”.
To this end, the authorities will increase scrutiny on aircraft utilisation rates, after it emerged that the stricken Jeju Air 737 had operated 13 sectors in a 48-hour span. The transport ministry will also beef up oversight on maintenance standards and procedures, as well as on new route approvals.
Airlines could also be subject to stricter regulations on the qualifications of their MRO workers.
Those found to be lacking in safety standards could face stiff penalties including the suspension of operations, says Park.
Jeju Air, who was also at the meeting, says it intends to lower its aircraft utilisation rate from the daily average of 14h to around 12.8h within the year. It also aims to boost its MRO personnel from 309 to 350.
It is not known if other carriers have shared their plans to boost safety.
Park’s announcement is the latest move by Seoul to allay concerns about the country’s airline sector, which is undergoing a period of change following rapid recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
On 13 January, Korean authorities ordered a sweeping safety review of airline operations and airport facilities, and announced a raft of safety improvements, including recurrent training for multiple engine shutdowns, as well as bird-strike response procedures.
