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Is Jeju Air unable to fix whatever issues its jets are facing and can they even do anything?
On Monday, 30 December, a Jeju Air passenger jet experienced an undisclosed landing gear issue shortly after departing Gimpo Airport in Seoul, en route to Jeju Island. The flight, Jeju Air Flight 7C101, was carrying 161 passengers when the mechanical issue was detected shortly after takeoff at approximately 6:30 AM local time (5:30 AM Singapore time).
Following the discovery of the fault, the airline made the decision to return to Gimpo Airport, where the aircraft landed safely at around 7:25 AM. According to Yonhap News, which reported the incident citing an unnamed source, the passengers were informed by the airline staff about the technical issue affecting the aircraft.
Moreover, although the situation raised concern among those onboard, the flight crew’s quick decision to return to the airport and the subsequent safe landing helped prevent any disaster. Jeju Air confirmed that they would resume operations shortly, planning to switch to a replacement aircraft for the passengers’ journey to Jeju.
The aircraft involved in the incident was a Boeing 737-800, the same model of aircraft that had been involved in a tragic crash the day before. On Sunday, a different Jeju Air flight, 7C2216, crashed after attempting to land at Muan International Airport.
This flight, originating from Thailand, carried 181 people and tragically, the crash also claimed the lives of all passengers except for two flight attendants, who were pulled from the wreckage. The plane had to land belly-first and skidded off the runway, causing severe damage. The aircraft eventually crashed into a wall and caught fire.
On top of that, emergency responders later cited a bird strike as a probable cause of the crash, though the investigation is ongoing. The severity of the impact caused passengers to be ejected from the aircraft, and fire officials reported that the plane was “almost completely destroyed” by the ensuing flames.
The tragic crash and the landing-gear issue aboard Flight 7C101 have drawn attention to the safety protocols of the airline, particularly as both incidents involved the same model of aircraft within such a short span of time.
While the aircraft involved in the December 30 incident returned safely to the airport, the previous day’s crash has raised concerns about potential underlying issues affecting the fleet. Jeju Air has not commented on whether any additional inspections or reviews of their aircraft will be carried out.
We got all this from CNA and their full article is linked here. Thank you CNA for the information and images.
