South Korea’s acting leader has ordered an emergency safety inspection of the country’s entire airline operations, a day after 179 people were killed in the deadliest plane crash on its soil.
The Jeju Air plane burst into flames as it crash-landed in South Korea’s Muan International Airport, killing everyone onboard save for two victims.
Acting President Choi Sang-mok has asked investigators into the incident to promptly disclose their findings to bereaved families.
His request also comes as another Jeju Air flight turned back to Seoul shortly after takeoff on Monday, due to an unidentified landing-gear issue.
On Monday, the Jeju Air plane departed from Gimpo International Airport at 06:35 local time and returned less than an hour later after realising a mechanical defect caused by the landing-gear issue, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported.
Landing gear refers to the set of wheels and other parts of the plane which supports the plane during takeoff, taxiing and landing.
The aircraft that turned back was a Boeing B737-800, the same model as the one involved in the disaster on Sunday.
Thirty-nine of the 41 aircrafts in Jeju Air’s fleet are of this model.
After Sunday’s deadly crash, Boeing had said it was in touch with Jeju Air and that it stood “ready to support them”.
- Advertisement -