The day after the most serious crash in the country’s history, which left 179 dead, South Korea announced on Monday, December 30, that it was launching a “full inspection” of the 101 Boeing 737-800 planes used by the country’s airlines, here on January 3. The Jeju Air company, which was flying the plane that crashed on Sunday, also said it was experiencing a series of cancellations on Monday. “From Sunday, midnight, to 1 p.m., today [lundi, 5 heures à Paris]the number of canceled flights is around 68,000,” an official reported to Agence France-Presse (AFP). Around 33,000 cancellations concern domestic flights and the rest are international flights, according to this source from the low-cost carrier. “Due to the current situation, the cancellation rate is slightly higher than usual. However, new bookings remain stable,” Song Kyung-hoon, head of the company’s support department, said at a press conference. Travel agencies also reported cancellations on Monday. “We identified at least 400 in the first hour of opening,” a manager of one of South Korea’s largest agencies told AFP, on condition of anonymity. “Many customers ask if they are going to fly on a Boeing 737-800 and, if so, want to cancel,” he added. Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers Jeju Air flight accident: shock and questions in South Korea in the face of the worst air disaster in the country’s history Read later Monday morning, another Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 encountered a problem linked to the landing gear, already questioned on Sunday. “The captain contacted ground control and, after taking additional measures, the landing gear returned to normal operation. However, it was decided to return to Gimpo airport (Northwest) shortly after takeoff, Song Kyung-hoon, a company official, told the press. The architecture of the airport in question A video of the crash that occurred on Sunday morning, broadcast by the local channel MBC, went around the world: we see a plane landing at Muan airport (South-West) on the belly, smoke escaping from its engines, before hitting a wall at the end of the runway and being engulfed in flames. This Boeing 737-800 from the South Korean low-cost airline Jeju Air, coming from Bangkok, was carrying 175 travelers and six crew members. All its passengers were killed, according to the final assessment of the emergency services, with the exception of a hostess and a steward. The people on board, two Thai nationals and the rest South Korean citizens, ranged in age from 3 to 78 years old. The identities of 146 of the 179 deaths have been confirmed so far, according to Vice Minister for Aviation Joo Jong-wan. The country declared a seven-day national mourning and flags were flown at half-mast, with interim President Choi Sang-mok at the scene of the tragedy for a commemoration ceremony. Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers Should you be afraid of flying in a Boeing plane? Read later According to the authorities, the cause of the tragedy would be a collision with birds, a fear of pilots, especially when it comes to jet aircraft whose engines can quickly lose power or stop completely after sucking in a volatile. Despite this thesis, critics are increasingly focusing on the airport’s architecture. “Despite the emergency, the landing was remarkably well executed,” said Kim Kwang-il, professor of aeronautical sciences at Silla University and former pilot, to Agence France-Presse (AFP). But “normally, there is no such solid obstacle at the end of the runway, it is against the international aviation safety standards recommended by (…) the International Civil Aviation Organization and the Agency of the European Union for aviation safety. The structure in question caused the plane to crash and burst into flames,” he says. “Most of the passengers died because of this obstacle, it’s upsetting,” he laments, calling on the airport authorities to be held accountable. Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers Boeing, $35 billion to avoid bankruptcy Read later In terms of the investigation, the black boxes – the cockpit voice recorder and the flight data recorder – were found on Sunday. The United States National Transportation Safety Agency has put together “a team of American investigators”, including Boeing, to “help” the South Korean authorities. Le Monde Mémorable Test your general knowledge with the editorial staff of “Le Monde” Test your general knowledge with the editorial staff of “Le Monde” Discover The crash in Muan is the first fatal accident for Jeju Air, which presented its “sincere apologies”. South Korea’s air transport sector is considered generally reliable by experts, with such tragedies being very rare. The deadliest accident to take place in South Korea until Sunday was the crash on a hill near Pusan-Gimhae airport of an Air China Boeing 767 coming from Beijing, which left 129 dead on April 15, 2002. Le Monde with AFP Reuse this content
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Author : News7
Publish date : 2024-12-30 12:29:54
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