7 Korean carriers fined for failing to provide accessible services to passengers with disabilities

Seven airlines have been fined for failing to designate or operate priority seating and provide necessary information to passengers with mobility difficulties, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said, Wednesday. The authority imposed a fine of 2.5m won ($1,816) on each of the airlines. They are Jeju Air, T’way Air, Air Seoul, Air Premia, Air Busan, Eastar Jet and Aero K. According to the ministry, the airlines violated an air traffic convenience standard for those with mobility issues. Air transport operators should comply with the standard to ensure the safety of passengers with disabilities, as stipulated by the Aviation Business Act. Above all, air transport operators here are required to provide services that will facilitate easy access for passengers with disabilities when they board and disembark from planes. Airlines also need to provide their staff with proper training. The ministry conducted an inspection of 10 airlines and two airport operators here from May 8 for about a month to look into whether they have complied with the standards. It found Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jin Air and the Korea Airports Corp. met the standards, but the aforementioned low-cost carriers (LCC) did not.<br/>