Jeju Air, a Korean budget carrier behind the recent deadly crash, responded to a broad range of accusations against the firm, from a maintenance staff shortage to a potential liquidity crunch, although the explanations offered largely failed to resolve the persisting concerns.
“We are currently adhering to the guideline of 12 maintenance engineers per aircraft, but we have had periods where we were not able to meet that standard during the Covid-19 pandemic,” Jeju Air’s management administration division director, Song Kyeong-hoon, said during a press conference held in western Seoul on Thursday.
The airline said it averaged 12.7 maintenance engineers per aircraft in 2024, slightly above the minimum threshold of 12 engineers recommended by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, but lower than the roughly 16 engineers averaged by Korean Air and Asiana Airlines. Jeju Air was unable to meet the threshold throughout 2020 and 2023.
Song explained that the airline had no choice but to lay off veteran engineers during the pandemic, which had caused an “unplanned temporary decrease” in the number of engineers.
"We had veteran engineers over their retiring age who we provided with opportunities to work again, so they could work with [younger] engineers for training purposes. We were met with a circumstance where we were unable to continue their contract during the Covid-19 pandemic," he explained, adding, "The total number of engineers may have decreased but we are adhering to the guideline as we carry out maintenance.”
The division director also said the airline is “cooperating” with the police’s raid of Jeju Air headquarters on Thursday morning but refused to provide further details regarding the search.
The low-cost carrier said its plan to reduce winter flights by 10 to 15 percent will be effective for domestic flights from as early as next week and from the third week of January for international flights. The airline did not, however, provide details on the specific routes that will be affected, repeating its previous statement that the company will “adjust flights with alternative Jeju Air time slots" or routes that are operated frequently by other airlines, according to the director.
The company also briefly addressed the recent rumors that flight cancellations may force Jeju Air to refund 260 billion won ($177 million).
"It is true that we are experiencing an increase in canceled [reservations],” Song said. “But there are also new reservations […] and there will be no issues with our future investment plans.”
The Jeju Air director also addressed speculation that its pilots and crews have been overburdened with excessive schedules, claiming that its pilots are given 24-hour breaks in between international flights.
“And while the employees who have volunteered to handle the incident may have some issues with rest […] handling the incident is prioritized,” the director said.
Song said, however, that he was unable to provide details on insurance, reinsurance or compensation, nor on the role of the concrete structure of the localizer in the incident.
“We first have to focus on supporting the victims' funerals,” he said.
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