A Jeju Air flight bound for Jeju Island was forced to return to Seoul on Monday morning due to a landing gear malfunction.
The incident occurred less than 24 hours after another Jeju Air passenger plane carrying 181 people crash-landed and burst into flames in South Korea, leaving 179 dead on Sunday.
The earlier tragedy involved a 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 jet returning from Bangkok, Thailand. The aircraft reportedly skidded off the runway at Jeju International Airport, crashing into a concrete fence when its front landing gear failed to deploy.
Emergency services responded swiftly, but only two survivors were confirmed from the crash, which has been described as South Korea’s deadliest aviation accident in recent years.
On Monday, Jeju Air Flight 7C101 departed Gimpo Airport in Seoul at 7:30 a.m., heading to Jeju International Airport with 161 passengers on board. Shortly after take-off, the pilots detected landing gear issues and informed passengers of the problem.
The plane circled for 40 minutes before returning safely to Gimpo Airport. The aircraft involved was another 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 — the same model as the plane in Sunday’s crash.
A Jeju Air official clarified the situation, stating, “The retreat was a precautionary measure.” He also assured passengers, saying, “We will provide a full refund to passengers who voluntarily got off the plane, and we will pay compensation for the delay to passengers who boarded the plane.”
Safety concerns led 21 passengers to opt out of reboarding the replacement flight arranged by Jeju Air. The substitute aircraft, also a Boeing 737-800, departed Gimpo at 8:30 a.m. with the remaining passengers.
These back-to-back incidents have put Jeju Air under intense scrutiny, raising questions about the safety and maintenance of its fleet. Aviation experts called for a comprehensive review of the airline’s protocols to restore public confidence.
The South Korean aviation authority has launched an investigation into both incidents, with preliminary findings expected in the coming weeks.
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