ID :
193884
Sat, 07/09/2011 - 13:53
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/193884
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S. Korea's budget carriers come under fire for string of mishaps
SEOUL, July 9 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's budget carriers are coming under fire for a string of mishaps that have raised concerns about the safety of the airlines and the quality of flight crews, local industry sources said Saturday.
Sources said the discoveries of a Eastar Jet Co. pilot trying to fly a plane while still being under the influence of alcohol last month and the failure of a Jeju Air Co. pilot to activate the cabin pressurization system after takeoff from Seoul's Gimpo International Airport has caused alarm bells to go off.
Both incidents were directly related to pilots and could have led to serious incidents that would have wrecked the rising popularity of the country's five budget carriers.
After starting commercial services in 2005, local carriers currently account for 40 percent of the domestic passenger market and have started to open new international routes to nearby countries.
Combined revenue of Jeju Air Co., Air Busan Co., Jin Air Co., Eastar and T'way soared to 512.6 billion won (US$484.9 million) last year from 264.7 billion won in 2009.
"Besides passenger discomfort on the Jeju Air flight, both events did not lead to any problems, but there is a need for budget carriers to be careful since there is lingering concerns about safety by consumers," an insider who declined to be identified said.
He stressed that the incidents could not have come at a worse time for budget carriers as South Korea heads into summer vacation season that usually results in a spike in air travel.
Responding to the recent mishaps, the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, in charge of regulating the airline industry and overseeing safety, said there is no reason to be overly concerns since all local carriers have been checked to meet strict safety requirements.
"They all operate the dependable Boeing 737s in their fleets, and use relatively new planes as part of their strategy to keep down maintenance costs," a official said. The five budget carriers own a combined 29 aircraft for passenger services.
He pointed out that pilots are human and that there could be no way to completely eliminate human error, although companies need to do more to improve training.
The official, meanwhile, said Seoul is looking into all incidents involving aircraft safety and will take all necessary steps to prevent such occurrences from happening in the future.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)
Sources said the discoveries of a Eastar Jet Co. pilot trying to fly a plane while still being under the influence of alcohol last month and the failure of a Jeju Air Co. pilot to activate the cabin pressurization system after takeoff from Seoul's Gimpo International Airport has caused alarm bells to go off.
Both incidents were directly related to pilots and could have led to serious incidents that would have wrecked the rising popularity of the country's five budget carriers.
After starting commercial services in 2005, local carriers currently account for 40 percent of the domestic passenger market and have started to open new international routes to nearby countries.
Combined revenue of Jeju Air Co., Air Busan Co., Jin Air Co., Eastar and T'way soared to 512.6 billion won (US$484.9 million) last year from 264.7 billion won in 2009.
"Besides passenger discomfort on the Jeju Air flight, both events did not lead to any problems, but there is a need for budget carriers to be careful since there is lingering concerns about safety by consumers," an insider who declined to be identified said.
He stressed that the incidents could not have come at a worse time for budget carriers as South Korea heads into summer vacation season that usually results in a spike in air travel.
Responding to the recent mishaps, the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs, in charge of regulating the airline industry and overseeing safety, said there is no reason to be overly concerns since all local carriers have been checked to meet strict safety requirements.
"They all operate the dependable Boeing 737s in their fleets, and use relatively new planes as part of their strategy to keep down maintenance costs," a official said. The five budget carriers own a combined 29 aircraft for passenger services.
He pointed out that pilots are human and that there could be no way to completely eliminate human error, although companies need to do more to improve training.
The official, meanwhile, said Seoul is looking into all incidents involving aircraft safety and will take all necessary steps to prevent such occurrences from happening in the future.
yonngong@yna.co.kr
(END)
