Jeju Air issues “deep apology” over incident at South Korean airport as death toll rises
December 29, 2024
Jeju Air has issued a statement saying it “deeply apologises” and “sincerely regrets the distress caused” after one of its passenger aircraft landing at Muan International Airport veered off the runway and burst into flames at around 9am local time this morning.
Operated by Jeju Air, the Boeing 737-800 aircraft carrying 181 people (including six crew) had taken off from Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand bound for Muan International Airport, nearly 300km south of Seoul. Footage online shows the aircraft skidding off the runway with its landing gear seemingly still closed before colliding with a wall and bursting into flames. In a TV briefing, Lee Jeong-hyeon, chief of the Muan fire station said the aircraft had been completely destroyed by the impact with only the tail still recognisable.
Investigation ongoing
A statement from the director of the Airports Authority of Thailand, Kerati Kijmanawat, said that Jeju Air flight 7C 2216 had departed from Suvarnabhumi with no reports of abnormal conditions in the airspace or on the runway.
A mechanical failure following a bird strike is one possible cause of the incident being investigated although this has not been confirmed. Poor weather has also been suggested as a possible cause. The aircraft’s black box has been retrieved, according to South Korea’s senior transport ministry official Joo Jong-wan, however the cockpit voice recording device is yet to be located.
Two crew members have reportedly been pulled out alive from the wreckage, while the bodies of 83 women and 82 men, as well as 11 others whose genders have yet to be confirmed have been recovered so far, with the search operation ongoing.
In a statemenet on X, Boeing said it is in contact with Jeju Air regarding the incident and stands ready to support the airline.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones and our thoughts remain with the passengers and crew.”
First major incident for Jeju Air
Having begun operations in 2005, Jeju Air is South Korea’s largest low-cost carrier (LCC). Its fleet consists of 40 Boeing 737 aircraft, although not all are currently active. This morning’s incident marks the first crash that the LCC has had in its nearly 20 year history. The route between Bangkok and Muan had only recently been added to Jeju’s network, in line with the airport’s plan to revive regular international links.
South Korea has had a good flight safety record and has not had a major aircraft incident since 1997 when a Korean Air flight crashed on the Pacific island of Guam, killing 228 people out of the 254 on board.
