S Korea cracks down on budget airline safety lapses

AFP, SEOUL: South Korea yesterday clamped down on lax safety protocols at low-cost airlines, warning them to mend their ways or face possible closure.
The transport ministry conducted a safety review of the country’s six budget carriers this month, after one aircraft was forced to make an emergency return due to an unsealed door.
The Boeing 737-800 belonged to Jin Air, a budget airline operated by South Korea’s top carrier Korean Air.
Last month, a passenger jet belonging to another budget carrier, Jeju Air, plunged 3,000 metres (10,000 feet) due to problems with its on-board air compression system.
The ministry concluded Thursday that low cost carriers were making an “inadequate” investment in safety given the exponential growth in traffic over the past decade.
The six budget carriers accounted for 59 percent of domestic market share last year, mostly centred on the route between Seoul and the southern resort island of Jeju.
“Airlines which fail to ensure passenger safety ... will face closure through cancellation of business licences,” the ministry said in a press statement.

S Korea cracks down on budget airline safety lapses

AFP, SEOUL: South Korea yesterday clamped down on lax safety protocols at low-cost airlines, warning them to mend their ways or face possible closure. The transport ministry conducted a safety review of the countrys six budget carriers this month, after one aircraft was forced to make an emergency return due to an unsealed door. The Boeing 737-800 belonged to Jin Air, a budget airline operated by South Koreas top carrier Korean Air. Last month, a passenger jet belonging to another budget carrier, Jeju Air, plunged 3,000 metres (10,000 feet) due to problems with its on-board air compression system. The ministry concluded Thursday that low cost carriers were making an inadequate investment in safety given the exponential growth in traffic over the past decade. The six budget carriers accounted for 59 percent of domestic market share last year, mostly centred on the route between Seoul and the southern resort island of Jeju. Airlines which fail to ensure passenger safety ... will face closure through cancellation of business licences, the ministry said in a press statement.