South Korea's largest low-cost carrier suffers first fatal accident in 19-year history

Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae (third from right) and other company officials bow in apology during a press briefing held at a hotel in western Seoul on Sunday, following a tragic plane crash earlier that morning that left at least 176 people dead. (Yonhap)
Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae (third from right) and other company officials bow in apology during a press briefing held at a hotel in western Seoul on Sunday, following a tragic plane crash earlier that morning that left at least 176 people dead. (Yonhap)

Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae apologized on Sunday for the tragic plane crash at Muan International Airport earlier that day, which left at least 176 people dead.

"I express my deep regret and offer my sincere apologies to all the victims and their bereaved families," Kim said at a press briefing held in Seoul around 2 p.m. on Sunday. "Regardless of the cause of the accident, I feel a great responsibility as the CEO."

The CEO's apology came hours after the accident, which occurred at around 9:03 a.m., when Jeju Air flight 7C 2216, arriving from Bangkok, overshot the runway at Muan Airport in South Jeolla Province, crashing into the perimeter fence and bursting into flames.

Of the 181 people on board -- including 175 passengers and six crew members -- 176 had been confirmed dead and two found alive as of 6:10 p.m. The death toll was expected to rise, with most of the missing presumed dead.

In response to the crash, Kim convened an emergency meeting at the company's air support center in Gangseo-gu, western Seoul, with all executive and management-level employees reportedly in attendance.

During the briefing, the CEO stated that "The cause of the accident is difficult to confirm at this time, and we are awaiting the official investigation results from the relevant government agencies," adding, "We will spare no effort to manage the accident promptly and support the families of the passengers, while cooperating fully with the government to determine the cause of the accident."

In a follow-up briefing, Song Kyung-hoon, the head of Jeju Air's management support division, stated that the company had established a response headquarters at the accident site, with around 260 employees deployed by 5 p.m. to assist the victims' families. A separate team would be formed to support the government’s investigation into the incident, he added.

Song confirmed that the crashed aircraft is covered by aviation insurance with a liability cap of $1 billion. "We will do everything possible to support the injured and the families of the deceased, in accordance with the insurance," he stated, also assuring full support for the two foreign passengers, both Thai nationals, through their embassy.

The official added that Muan Airport will remain closed until Wednesday 5 p.m., with passengers originally scheduled to fly into Muan being rerouted through Incheon and Busan. Refunds and rescheduling for affected flights will be offered upon request.

Authorities are investigating the exact circumstances and causes of the accident. Initial findings suggest a landing gear malfunction, which led to an emergency belly landing and caused the aircraft to overrun the runway and strike perimeter fences. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport stated that the control tower alerted the flight to a potential bird strike at around 8:57 a.m., almost immediately followed by a mayday call from the pilot. The crash occurred just minutes after the emergency signal. Further investigation is needed to determine whether the bird strike was the definitive cause.

Jeju Air, South Korea's largest low-cost carrier, was jointly founded by the cosmetics-to-healthcare conglomerate Aekyung Group and the Jeju Provincial Government in 2005. It was the first Korean LCC to launch an international route in 2009 with its Incheon-Osaka service, and achieved another milestone in 2015 as the first LCC to go public.

This marked the first fatal accident for Jeju Air since its establishment. Previous incidents involving the carrier include two non-fatal runway overruns in 2007 and 2013 involving domestic flights departing from Jeju.

The aircraft involved in the recent crash was a Boeing 737-800, a small 189-seat jet that has been in service for 15 years. Jeju Air began leasing the plane second-hand in February 2017. Speaking to the press on Sunday, CEO Kim emphasized that the aircraft had no prior accident history and had undergone regular maintenance, with no abnormalities detected before the crash.

The B737-800, introduced in 1997, is a short-to-medium-haul aircraft popular among LCCs. A total of 101 units are currently operated by South Korean airlines, with Jeju Air running the largest fleet of 39 planes.