Passengers Worried
Passengers are worried about flying with Korean Air, as the company's planes have been involved in a recent series of accidents. Industry experts suspect the company may have neglected maintenance and flight-related crew training during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Korean Air flight that departed from Incheon International Airport to Sydney, Australia on the night of the Oct. 30 returned to Incheon immediately after its takeoff due to an engine failure. This became the fourth accident involving a Korean Air plane since this past summer.
Earlier, on July 10, a Korean Air passenger plane bound for Incheon International Airport from Istanbul, Turkey made an emergency landing at Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku of Azerbaijan due to an engine failure message.
On Sept. 22, a Korean Air plane that was preparing for a takeoff at London Heathrow Airport came in contact with another plane that was landing.
On Oct. 23, a Korean Air passenger plane overshot the runway during landing at Mactan Cebu International Airport of the Philippines, seriously damaging its fuselage. Its passengers and crew made an emergency escape.
Regarind the return of the Sydney bound airplane, a Korean Air official said, "There is always the possibility of problems with mechanical parts. However, the exact cause of the accident can only be known after investigation." According to Korean Air’s explanation, the airplane that departed for Sydney was registered in October 2001 and is 21 years old this year. The Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport classifies an aircraft 20 years old or older as an old one.