South Korean budget carrier Jeju Air announced Wednesday that it plans to cut 1,878 flights in its first quarter to upgrade its operational safety after a deadly Boeing 737-800 runway crash killed 179 people.
According to a report by South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, Jeju Air will cut 838 flights on domestic routes and 1,040 on international routes through March. A company spokesperson told Yonhap that the company plans to cut 30 more flights in the near future – which would total over 1,900 flight cuts in the first quarter.
Jeju Air first announced plans to reduce domestic and international flights last week, days after the South Korean government ordered safety inspections for all Boeing 737-800 aircraft in the country.
Per Cirium Diio schedule data, the airline’s Q1 capacity is down by nearly 3% compared to the same period last year.
CBS News reported that the airline’s CEO, Kim E-Bae, was banned from leaving the country as authorities raided offices at Jeju Air and the Muan International Airport last week.
The exact cause of the crash that killed 179 of the 181 people aboard Jeju Air Flight 2216 is still unknown. Yonhap has reported that investigators are looking into a bird strike, faulty landing gear,and a concrete barrier on the runway as possible causes for the incident.
Boeing has said it is in contact with the airline, though the jet manufacturer deferred further comment regarding investigations to the South Korean Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB).
According to a Monday news release from the South Korean government, ARAIB is conducting an ongoing investigation of the “two engines and other critical components” that have been transferred to a hangar. The Muan Airport will remain closed during the investigation and debris cleanup until 5 a.m. local time on Jan. 14.
Additionally, the cockpit voice recorder transcript was completed on Jan. 4, and the flight data recorder has been “carried by two representatives from the investigation board” to Washington D.C.
