Government to Review LCC Governance Structure... "Expertise Needed for Safety Investment"

Minister Park Sang-woo urges thorough safety management
at meeting with domestic low-cost carrier CEOs
Government to strengthen safety standards and supervision
Strict sanctions for airlines failing to meet safety requirements

On the 23rd, Park Sang-woo, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, held a special aviation safety inspection meeting with CEOs of domestic low-cost carriers (LCCs) at Gimpo Airport. Amid concerns over the aviation industry's crisis following an aircraft accident that claimed 179 lives, he urged thorough safety management.

The meeting was attended by CEOs from nine airlines including Jeju Air, T'way Air, Eastar Jet, Air Busan, Jin Air, Air Seoul, Air Incheon, Air Premia, and Aero K. Minister Park emphasized, "Airlines that ignore safety will disappear along with public rejection," adding, "If LCCs, which account for more than half of Korea's aviation transport ranked 9th in the world, focus solely on profits without implementing fundamental safety reforms, the future of the aviation industry cannot be guaranteed."

The government plans to establish strengthened safety standards and enhance supervision. They will focus on aircraft utilization rates, securing maintenance personnel, and compliance with maintenance standards and procedures. Verification before introducing new aircraft will also be intensified. To ensure the proficiency of maintenance personnel, the criteria for calculating flight maintenance personnel will be revised.

On the 14th, officials from the recovery authorities are conducting search operations at the accident site of Jeonnam Muan International Airport. Photo by Yonhap News

Airlines that fail to meet safety level standards will face strong sanctions such as suspension of their operating certificates. An operating certificate is the permit required to operate flights, and suspension makes business operations impossible. The government will actively inform the public about airlines that violate regulations or have frequent safety incidents.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport also plans to directly review airline governance. It believes that to sufficiently invest in safety, management with financial capability and expertise is necessary. If an airline lacks proper governance, the ministry plans to manage it with strict measures.

At the meeting, each airline presented safety enhancement measures they have introduced or plan to implement, such as lowering aircraft utilization rates to secure additional maintenance time or expanding maintenance staff. They shared plans to strengthen pilot training programs for emergency situations like bird strikes, introduce new aircraft, and expand maintenance and training facilities.

The Ministry plans to form a joint public-private inspection team by the end of this month to inspect safety systems, facilities, and equipment at 11 domestic airlines and airports nationwide. Based on the inspection results, an aviation safety innovation plan will be announced by April.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.