Inspections on 101 Boeing jets operated by country’s airlines extended to January 10 following the deadly plane crash.
Inspections of all 101 Boeing 737-800 jets operated by South Korea’s airlines have been extended for another week, the transport ministry said, as authorities began lifting the wreckage of the Jeju Air plane following the country’s worst aviation disaster.
The inspections of the Boeing jets were supposed to be completed on Friday but were extended to January 10 for additional checks, such as whether airlines spent enough time carrying out maintenance and secured parts for repairs, a ministry official told reporters on Friday.
A total of 179 people were killed on Sunday after Jeju Air Flight 2216 from Thailand to South Korea skidded and crashed while trying to land at Muan International Airport southwest of the capital, Seoul. Only two people survived the incident.
The exact cause of the crash is still unknown, but investigators have pointed to a bird strike, faulty landing gear and an installation at the end of the runway that the plane struck as possible issues.
The transport ministry said it would look at engines, maintenance records and landing gear on all 737-800s, adding that an airline’s operations could be suspended if serious violations are found.
The plane’s engines are produced under General Electric’s joint venture with the French aerospace company, Safran. GE is also joining the inspections.
The Jeju Air crash adds to headaches faced by Boeing as the company battles to restore trust with customers following two fatal 737 MAX crashes, a mid-air panel blowout, and a seven-week strike.
The transport ministry also held an emergency meeting with the chief executives of 11 airlines, including Korean Air Lines and Asiana Airlines, to discuss measures to enhance aviation safety.
South Korea’s investigation team said on Friday two of its members would leave for the United States next week to analyse the flight data recorder of the crash in cooperation with the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The team is also studying the plane wreckage and interviewing airport control tower officials.