Dance in the Air
While 43 domestic and foreign airlines have requested the Korean government to have “mercy” on Asiana Airlines regarding the accident at the San Francisco International Airport, Korea Air is instead demanding “strong punishiment.”
Korean Air announced on Oct. 17, “Although the National Transportation Safety Board of the US found that pilots are primarily responsible for the accident through investigation, Asiana Airlines is misleading the fundamentals of the accident by insisting on defects in the aircraft. Strict punishment needs to be imposed.”
Regarding some airline companies’ petitions to ask for favorable measures for Asiana Airlines, Korean Air said, “Asiana is ignoring people’s worries over safety. Obsessed with the economic benefits, Asiana is manipulating interest counter-parties to control the press. We are very concerned about this situation.”
Korean Air emphasized, “Regarding the accidents of Korean Air that happened in the past, the government canceled the license of certain routes and ordered the operation suspension of such routes. The government even created new regulations, backdated them to Korean Air, and forbid Korean Air from having traffic rights allocated. Administrative measures of the government have to be consistent and impartial.”
Asiana Airlines immediately responded by issuing a statement that said, “We are seriously concerned about Korean Air’s claim that we are ‘manipulating the press through interest counter-parties.’ Korean Air is insulting the kindness and sincerity of 43 foreign airlines coming to Incheon Airport, as well as groups of overseas Koreans, including the Federation of Korean Associations, USA.”
Asiana added, “Even if Asiana and Korean Air are competing with each other in other fields, the two companies have to cooperate and encourage each other for safety. We expect the least magnanimity.”
Ten years ago, Asiana Airlines claimed strong punishment over Korean Air as well. The two companies’ positions have switched in ten years. Korean Air caused 229 deaths when its aircraft crashed in Guam in 1997. In 1999, there was another crash in Shanghai, China. Korean Air was imposed with a three-month suspension of operations.
Asiana insisted that Korean Air deserves disadvantages in route distribution even after such punishment. However, the Incheon–Shanghai route was allocated to Korean Air, and Asiana Airlines has filed a lawsuit for “requesting annulment of the traffic right allocation” and “cancellation of the traffic right allocation.”