Disputes escalated over the safety of low-cost carriers Monday after a passenger jet of Jin Air made an emergency landing because a door was not properly closed.

The LJ038 flight of Jin Air Co., owned by Korean Air, returned to Mactan-Cebu International Airport at 1 a.m. local time, about 20-30 minutes after it departed for Busan.

The decision was made by the pilot as the plane carrying 163 passengers was flying at an altitude of 10,000 feet, or about 3,000 meters. The captain made the call after a cabin crew report of a “strange noise” coming from the the front door, a public relations representative from the air carrier said.

Angry passengers complained they trembled with fear for nearly an hour with no explanation for the noise and the air turbulence they endured.

Some said they suffered from headaches and pain in their ears, but no serious injuries were reported.

One passenger even uploaded pictures of the gap in the door on the Internet. After the landing, the crew had to manually open the door on the other side of the plane because the door, which was not completely closed in the air, could not be moved, others claimed.

The Jin Air official, however, denied the claims.

“The cabin crew made several announcements as to why the jet was heading back to the airport. We also provided hotel rooms for passengers, as opposed to claims we didn’t,” he said.

Stressing that the plane had returned to Gimpo International Airport for a safety check by the Transport Ministry on Sunday evening, the official said the plane couldn’t have flown back to the airport if it had problems with flying.

The official said that it would compensate passengers if they have medical reports for further treatment, without elaborating on specifics.

Meanwhile, the Transport Ministry said in a statement Monday that it would track down maintenance records and check whether the crew followed operational procedures as instructed.

“Within the investigation result, the government plans to take administrative measures, such as imposing fines on Jin Air and its officials,” the ministry said.

The government also plans to check the current safety rules of all budget carriers and introduce fresh guidelines to alleviate safety concerns.

As of January, South Korea has a total of six budget carriers, including Air Busan owned by Asiana Airlines.


By Cho Chung-un
(christory@heraldcorp.com)