Recurring accidents might forecast troubling times for national carrier
A Korean Air passenger jet overshot the runway at Cebu International Airport in the Philippines while attempting to land late on Sunday. There were 162 passengers on board along with 11 cabin crew.
The Airbus SE A330, which had departed from Incheon, South Korea, attempted to land twice in bad weather before it overshot the runway on the third attempt. The aircraft could not sufficiently reduce its speed after landing and ended up 250 meters past the runway. Fortunately, there were no injuries, but matters onboard appeared to be very urgent, considering that all 173 people made an escape via the emergency slides.
The plane's nose landing gear appeared to have been damaged by the overshoot. The transport ministry said it would cooperate with the Philippine authorities to investigate all possible causes of the accident. Some experts are raising the possibility that the aircraft's brake system might have malfunctioned.
This is not the first time Korean Air has been involved in an accident. On Sept. 29, a Korean Air plane came into contact with an Icelandair aircraft while taxiing to the runway at London's Heathrow Airport. The plane's passengers had to wait for hours until an alternative jet arrived. A Korean Air aircraft, flying from Istanbul to Incheon, made an emergency landing in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, on July 10 due to a defect in one of its engines. In the second half of this year alone, Korean Air has suffered three accidents.
People's distrust of Korean Air has, therefore, grown recently. But any aircraft mishap can never be tolerated, considering that it might escalate into a major disaster. At this juncture, it might be necessary to consider disallowing Korean Air's planned acquisition of Asiana Airlines. If combined, the two carriers will account for over 70 percent of international flight passengers here, prompting fears that they might neglect their safety duties due to an overly confident mood caused by their dominant market position.
A Korean Air passenger jet overshot the runway at Cebu International Airport in the Philippines while attempting to land late on Sunday. There were 162 passengers on board along with 11 cabin crew.
The Airbus SE A330, which had departed from Incheon, South Korea, attempted to land twice in bad weather before it overshot the runway on the third attempt. The aircraft could not sufficiently reduce its speed after landing and ended up 250 meters past the runway. Fortunately, there were no injuries, but matters onboard appeared to be very urgent, considering that all 173 people made an escape via the emergency slides.
The plane's nose landing gear appeared to have been damaged by the overshoot. The transport ministry said it would cooperate with the Philippine authorities to investigate all possible causes of the accident. Some experts are raising the possibility that the aircraft's brake system might have malfunctioned.
This is not the first time Korean Air has been involved in an accident. On Sept. 29, a Korean Air plane came into contact with an Icelandair aircraft while taxiing to the runway at London's Heathrow Airport. The plane's passengers had to wait for hours until an alternative jet arrived. A Korean Air aircraft, flying from Istanbul to Incheon, made an emergency landing in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, on July 10 due to a defect in one of its engines. In the second half of this year alone, Korean Air has suffered three accidents.
People's distrust of Korean Air has, therefore, grown recently. But any aircraft mishap can never be tolerated, considering that it might escalate into a major disaster. At this juncture, it might be necessary to consider disallowing Korean Air's planned acquisition of Asiana Airlines. If combined, the two carriers will account for over 70 percent of international flight passengers here, prompting fears that they might neglect their safety duties due to an overly confident mood caused by their dominant market position.
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