Concerns are mounting within the low-cost carrier (LCC) industry that the image of budget airlines could be tarnished in the wake of the recent Jeju Air crash, according to industry watchers Tuesday, with industry players fearing a decline in demand for air travel. "It's a somber atmosphere across the entire industry, even though it's just one airline's incident," one LCC official told Yonhap News Agency, requesting anonymity. The official added, "There's concern that travel demand could be dampened. We are cautiously observing the situation." Another industry official said his company held an emergency meeting on the day of the crash to discuss potential impacts. "It seems inevitable that the incident will affect our operations." A key factor adding to the unease is the fact that the Boeing B737-800, the aircraft model involved in the Jeju Air crash, is widely used by domestic LCCs. Jeju Air operates 39 units, followed by T'way Air, Jin Air and Easter Jet, with 27, 19 and 10 units, respectively. "It's hard to blame the incident solely on the aircraft model, but there is concern that biases against LCCs and this specific model may grow," an industry insider said.<br/>
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Commercial aviation has suffered its deadliest year since 2018 after the Jeju Air disaster in South Korea and last week’s downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines plane. Fatalities onboard passenger aircraft jumped to 318 this year with the two recent accidents, data compiled by Cirium shows. That’s by far the highest death toll since more than 500 people died in 2018, a year marked by the first of two Boeing Co. 737 Max crashes. This year started and ended with tragedies in Japan and South Korea during attempted landings, among the most dangerous phases of flight. Fatal aviation accidents remain very rare, and one major incident can suddenly turn a statistically safe year into one of the worst. “The recent spike falls into the margins of unpredictability,” said Darren Straker, a former head of air accident investigation units in the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong. He suggested airline crews could be better trained to respond to so-called outlier events. Investigators have yet to determine why a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 — a predecessor to the Max — careered down the runway at Muan International Airport early Sunday with no landing gear deployed and smashed into a concrete wall. All but two of the 181 people on board died as the wrecked jet exploded into a ball of fire. The fatal Jeju Air crash was the airline’s first, and ranks as the worst civil air accident ever in South Korea. As the plane neared the airport, one of the pilots reported a bird strike, declared a mayday and initiated a fly-around procedure, according to Korean transport ministry officials. The plane then turned back and attempted to land in the opposite direction, with the barrier in its path at that end of the runway. <br/>
Anxious airline flyers may well remember 2024 as the year their worst fears about the safety of air travel felt confirmed, as a series of unprecedented, and in some cases fatal, airplane incidents captured headlines. Three separate incidents last week — aboard South Korean, Canadian and Azerbaijani airliners — have stirred those anxieties during the busy holiday travel period. But statistics show the risk of death or injury on a commercial flight is extremely low. The latest incident happened Sunday in South Korea when a Boeing passenger jet crash-landed at Muan International Airport, killing 179 people — the deadliest aviation disaster in the country since 1997. In footage broadcast by multiple South Korean news outlets, the Jeju Air flight can be seen skidding on its belly at high speed, hitting an embankment and erupting in a fireball. It’s still unclear what caused the crash, though experts told CNN the plane’s undercarriage — specifically, the wheels used for takeoff and landing — appeared not to have fully deployed before hitting the tarmac. South Korean authorities are probing the cause of the disaster with the help of investigators from the United States. In a Sunday statement on X, Boeing extended its “deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones” and said it was ready to support Jeju Air. The crash came after 38 people were killed on Christmas Day when an Azerbaijan Airlines flight crashed after entering Russian airspace in Grozny, Chechnya. It is unconfirmed what was behind the incident, but Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has accused Russia of accidentally shooting down the airliner. Russian President Vladimir Putin “apologized for the fact that the tragic incident occurred in Russian airspace” in a phone call with Aliyev last week, according to a statement from the Kremlin, but did not claim responsibility.<br/>
Gatwick Airport has said operations are "returning to normal" after four days of fog-related flight restrictions. Temporary air traffic restrictions that were in place over the weekend have been lifted after the weather improved. More than 20 flights planned for the West Sussex airport on Monday were cancelled in advance to minimise any impact on passengers and allow for repositioning of aircraft. Flights at the UK's second busiest airport were disrupted between Friday and early on Monday morning because of fog. A spokesperson for Gatwick apologised for the delays and cancellations. An easyJet spokesperson added: "Unfortunately, a small number of flights this morning to and from London Gatwick were cancelled due to the knock-on impact of air traffic control restrictions from poor weather conditions yesterday. "The safety and well-being of our customers and crew is our highest priority, and while this is outside of our control, we would like to apologise to customers for the inconvenience caused." Anyone on flights delayed by more than two hours may be entitled to assistance, including food and drink or overnight accommodation if necessary.<br/>
Extra night flights to and from Birmingham Airport are set to be approved. The airport has argued increased night flying is necessary to continue its growth and deliver benefits to the region's economy. Some villagers under the flight path said night flying should be restricted further. Councillors in Solihull, where the airport is based, are being recommended to relax the rules when they meet on 8 January. A report prepared for the meeting stated that allowing the increase would bring "very substantial benefits" for the area's economy. The over-arching agreement on the airport's operations was last updated 15 years ago and Solihull Council said the aviation industry had changed substantially since then. Low-cost carriers aim to operate their aircraft for more hours in the day to maximise efficiency, which means more early morning and late night flights. Proposed changes to the existing agreement would see an increase from 5% to 7.3% in the proportion of flights allowed to arrive or leave between 23:30 and 06:00.<br/>
The first international flight from the New Gwadar International Airport will take off for Muscat on January 10, while negotiations were under way with Pakistani, Chinese, Omani, and UAE airlines to start domestic and international flights to and from the port city, officials said on Sunday. Aviation authorities told a high-level meeting on the Gwadar airport, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, that the flight operation of the PIA between Karachi and Gwadar would soon be expanded. Chairing the meeting, Shehbaz, while expressing his gratitude to China for constructing an international standard airport, said that it would bring prosperity to the area and create new job opportunities. "The airport is an example of the great friendship between Pakistan and China," he said. The PM was informed that flights from Gwadar to Muscat would start on January 10, 2025, whereas talks with regard to starting domestic and international flight operations by the airlines of Pakistan, China, Oman and UAE from Gwadar were under way.<br/>
Boeing’s shares fell on Monday, a day after the deadly crash of a 737-800, a widely used model that is a staple of low-cost airlines, at an airport in South Korea. The passenger plane, operated by Jeju Air, was carrying 181 people, and all but two were killed. Shares of Boeing dropped sharply at the open of trading in New York, before regaining some ground to trade about 2% lower in the afternoon. South Korea’s transportation ministry said Monday that it would conduct inspections of the 101 Boeing 737-800 planes used by airlines in the country, including Jeju Air. The inspections were set to start Monday and be completed by Friday. South Korea’s deputy transport minister, Joo Jong-wan, said at a news briefing that the inspections would look at maintenance records of major systems, including engines and landing gear. Boeing said in a statement on Sunday that it was in contact with Jeju Air and was ready to help the airline. Jeju Air’s stock fell 8.7% at the close of trading in Seoul on Monday, hitting a record low. “The accident’s root cause could be among several factors,” Myles Walton, an analyst at Wolfe Research, wrote in a note, adding that workmanship and design weren’t likely to blame. Still, “commercial aerospace’s infrequent but sometimes catastrophic accidents” present unique risks for aircraft manufacturers like Boeing, he wrote. The crash in South Korea came at the end of another difficult year for Boeing, as it has continued to face labor strife, questions about quality control, mounting debt and supply chain issues. The company’s shares have lost more than 30% of their value this year. In January, a panel blew off a 737 Max plane during an Alaska Airlines flight, resurfacing concerns about the safety of Boeing planes five years after two fatal crashes of the Max, a successor to the 737-800. The Federal Aviation Administration increased oversight of the company and limited production of the jet, dealing a financial blow to the firm, which has not reported an annual profit since 2018.<br/>
After a banner year, China’s leading aircraft manufacturer is set to ring in an even busier 2025 as it scales up production to fulfil a bevy of orders for its home-grown planes – particularly the C919 narrowbody jet. The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (Comac) is planning a series of expansions for the new year, previewing new projects on Saturday to boost factory output in its home base of Shanghai. In a statement, the manufacturer said it will intensify cooperation with industrial chain partners in the coming year. Though details were scarce, Comac said it will augment its capacity by building next to its existing facilities in China’s financial centre – a necessary move as the company’s backlog of invoices grows and turbulence on the horizon for global supply chains in the coming year. “To build more planes, it first needs more production lines in Shanghai,” said a source with Comac subsidiary Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing. In October, Comac renewed deals with Shanghai officials intended to put the Chinese city on a par with Everett in the United States and Toulouse in France – enormous production hubs for aerospace manufacturers Boeing and Airbus, respectively.<br/>
Air taxi start-up Volocopter GmbH filed for insolvency proceedings on Monday, citing its inability to raise new funds to maintain regular operations. The Mercedes-Benz and Honeywell-backed company plans to continue business operations during the insolvency proceedings while seeking additional funding. "Despite recent intensive fundraising efforts, finding a viable solution to maintain regular operations outside of insolvency proceedings has not been possible," the Bruchsal, Germany-based firm said. The electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) industry is facing a financial crunch, with companies persistently seeking new investments to support their capital-intensive operations as companies prepare for commercial operations. In November, peer Lilium said it would file for insolvency "soon", after failing to resolve its financial difficulties. Founded in 2011, Volocopter was scheduled to enter the market in 2025 with its urban eVTOL, the VoloCity.<br/>