South Korea fines 3 airlines US$2.6 million for safety violations
The country’s aviation safety standards have come under intense scrutiny after the fatal crash landing of Jeju Air Flight 2216 last year
Korean Air, Jeju Air and T’way Air have been fined a total of 3.54 billion won (US$2.6 million) by South Korea’s government for safety violations.
The three South Korean airlines violated the Aviation Safety Act, the Korea JoongAng Daily reported, citing a statement by the country’s ministry of land, infrastructure and transport on Tuesday.
The fines come five months after the country’s aviation safety standards were in the spotlight following the crash landing last December of Jeju Air Flight 2216, which ran into a wall at South Korea’s Muan International Airport, killing 179 passengers and crew members.
The deadliest aviation incident on South Korean soil prompted calls for stricter safety and maintenance checks on local airlines.
In June last year, a Korean Air flight bound for Taiwan had to turn back and make an emergency landing after a fault with the aircraft’s pressurisation system was detected.
In addition to imposing fines, the government also suspended the licenses of eight aviation maintenance engineers – three each from T’way Air and Jeju Air, and two from Korean Air – for between 15 days and 45 days.
The decision was finalised after a penalty review committee meeting held in early April.
T’way Air faces the heaviest fine of 2.6 billion won.
The airline was found to have violated maintenance manuals by skipping hydraulic fluid tests, failing to replace filters and reusing filters.
It was also found to have inspected three B737-800 aircraft using its own arbitrary intervals, instead of the standard seven-day interval set by manufacturer Boeing.
When defects were rediscovered after an airworthiness check, the airline had deleted or altered its original maintenance records.
Jeju Air was fined 800 million won for failing to conduct required flight checks for two aircraft within a stipulated 48-hour period.
It had also failed to follow proper engine troubleshooting steps when an engine malfunction occurred, leading to repeated defects.
Korean Air was fined 133 million won for improper flap system maintenance on A330-300 models. It was found to have installed equipment using temporary securing components, deviating from standard procedures.
“To ensure airlines do not neglect investments in aviation safety, we will continue to strengthen oversight across all aspects of maintenance and operations,” a ministry official said, as cited by Yonhap news agency.
