Jeju Air’s maintenance records and high aircraft utilization rates are being scrutinized more closely following last month’s crash. The low-cost carrier has undergone a sizable run of growth in recent years, but authorities are looking at whether this has come at the expense of adequate safety and maintenance practices.
Records show that the carrier’s aircraft utilization rates almost doubled from 2022 to 2023 (although some of this can be attributed to emerging from the COVID pandemic lull), while it was also handed more fines for regulation breaches than any other South Korean airline over the last four years.
Jeju Air maintenance and utilization under scrutiny
It has now been more than two weeks since the deadly Jeju Air
Flight 7C2216 crash at Muan International Airport, tragically killing 179 of the aircraft’s 181 occupants. South Korean authorities are probing every possible cause of the crash, which was initially attributed to a bird strike. However, questions remain about the accident, such as why the landing gear was not deployed and why pilots chose to conduct a landing so soon after performing a go-around.
Photo: KITTIKUN YOKSAP | Shutterstock
According to a Reuters report, data shows that Jeju Air has been flying its aircraft more frequently than almost all other low-cost carriers globally. This is not inherently a problem, as it is common for low-cost airlines to try and maximize the number of daily hours their aircraft are in the air, known as aircraft utilization.
For example, Ryanair has consistently maintained one of the highest aircraft utilization rates in the world, and the Irish airline – which operates over 3,000 flights per day – has yet to suffer any deadly accidents (its only airframe loss was in Rome in 2008 due to a bird strike). However, the data shows that Jeju exceeded Ryanair’s utilization rates last year, as well as pretty much every other airline in the world.
11.6 hours a day
In fact, only Middle Eastern LCC Air Arabia bested Jeju’s utilization rate last year at 12.5 daily hours. Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows that Jeju was flying its planes an average of 11.6 hours per day—this is considerably higher than the likes of Ryanair (9.3 hours), AirAsia (9 hours), and VietJet (10 hours).
Related
Jeju Air Crash: Police Raid Muan Airport On Charges Of Professional Negligence
Raids were also conducted at Jeju’s Seoul offices and local aviation regulator offices.
Increasing daily utilization rates ultimately place greater demands on maintenance teams, which means any shortcomings in this department can have serious safety consequences. Jeju’s CEO, Kim E-bae, has said there were no maintenance issues raised with the crashed jet before the flight, and the airline adheres to global standards in this respect.
Photo: Keitma | Shutterstock
It’s not just maintenance concerns when it comes to higher utilization rates. Pilot fatigue can also be a danger, and investigators are probing whether pilot error was a factor during last month’s crash. Sim Jai-dong, a professor of aircraft maintenance at Sehan University in South Korea, told Reuters,
“The utilization itself is not a problem. But there could be higher fatigue for pilots, crew members and mechanics given the higher utilization rates.”
Jeju Air record fines
Jeju’s CEO did admit the airline had problems with its safety record in the past. Between 2020 and 2022, Jeju was handed more fines and suspensions for regulation violations than any other South Korean airline. Government records also show that, between 2020 and 2024, Jeju was penalized a total of 2.3 billion won ($1.57 million) and its aircraft were kept grounded for an accumulated 41 days.
The next most-penalized South Korean airline during this period was T’way Air, which was handed 2.1 billion won ($1.43 million) in fines but only four days of aircraft groundings.
Photo: Starz12 | Shutterstock
The Jeju Air crash was the deadliest on South Korean territory and the country’s worst air disaster since Korean Air Flight 801 in Guam in 1997. South Korea’s aviation industry had, up until last month, maintained one of the world’s better safety records.Cirium
