Fail to Satisfy Flight Requirements Due to COVID-19
Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Park Sang-hyuk said on Sep. 8 that 120 out of the 145 A380 pilots of Asiana Airlines were disqualified last month, when 14 changed their licenses, one resigned and 10 retained their A380 pilot qualification.
Korean Air and Asiana Airlines stopped using their A380s in April last year. This is because the demand dropped due to COVID-19 and they decided to expand the use of smaller and more fuel-efficient aircraft such as A330.
Under the circumstances, the A380 pilots could not satisfy flight requirements for license retention, that is, at least three takeoffs and landings within 90 days. In South Korea, most pilots can fly one model per person and model switch is required for them to fly a different model.
Re-training and re-screening are required when a pilot disqualified for two years or more is to switch his or her model. Most of the 120 pilots have been disqualified for more than a year.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport told Korean Air early this year to allow Asiana Airlines pilots to use its flight simulators. However, only the 10 pilots could retain their licenses using the simulators, the hourly rental cost of which amounts to hundreds of thousands of won. Asiana Airlines explained that it would provide re-training for model switch for the 120 pilots.