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Photo = Yonhap news |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] The Jeju Air aircraft involved in the accident at Muan Airport on Friday had made 13 flights across eight airports within a 48-hour period leading up to the incident. Between December 27 and 28, the aircraft performed continuous short- and medium-haul flights ranging from 38 minutes to 5 hours and 46 minutes without extended breaks.
The plane typically stayed at an airport for about an hour before boarding passengers and departing for its next destination. For instance, on December 28, the day before the accident, the aircraft arrived at Nagasaki Airport, Japan, at 12:04 p.m. and departed for Muan Airport at 12:52 p.m. Industry experts note that such tight scheduling can occur, particularly on short-haul routes.
The accident aircraft is a Boeing B737-800 model, manufactured in September 2009. This model is commonly used for flights under six hours and forms the backbone of Jeju Air's fleet, with 37 out of its 39 aircraft being B737-800s. The aircraft involved in the incident is 15 years old, which is not considered "aged." According to South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, aircraft aged 20 years or more are classified as aged aircraft.
Jeju Air's planes logged an average monthly operational time of 418 hours in the third quarter of this year, 18% higher than Korean Air's average of 355 hours. This highlights Jeju Air's intensive use of its fleet, particularly for short- and medium-haul routes.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
