Aviophobia rises in South Korea amid safety scares

On the heels of two safety incidents involving South Korean budget airlines within a month, concerns over air travel safety are growing among passengers, prompting many to forgo cheaper fares in favor of legacy carriers.

Among them is 27-year-old Lee Ji-yun, who, while booking her upcoming trip to Osaka, Japan, with a friend, opted for round-trip tickets priced at 400,000 won ($275) instead of a budget option half that price.

"Normally, I'd go for the cheapest option because going to Japan from (South) Korea is such a short flight," Lee told The Korea Herald. "But the recent incidents involving budget carriers made me feel uneasy about flying with them. I felt like my safety would be better guaranteed flying with legacy carriers instead."

Concerns over budget airline safety escalated following two major incidents.

On Dec 29, a Jeju Air passenger aircraft crashed during an emergency landing, resulting in 179 fatalities out of the 181 people on board. Though the exact reason behind the crash is yet to be confirmed, issues such as excessive flight frequency and inadequate safety maintenance were raised following the incident.

In less than a month, on Jan 28, an Air Busan plane caught fire at its tail before takeoff.

Fortunately, the incident resulted in no deaths, but speculations have still arisen as to whether the airline is liable for professional negligence regarding carry-on luggage, with the cause of the fire suspected to be a portable power bank stowed in an overhead compartment.

Lee is not alone in her reluctance to fly with low-cost carriers, or LCCs.

According to Air Portal, which is run by South Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the number of passengers from South Korea's six major LCCs — Jeju Air, Jin Air, T'way Air, Eastar Jet, Air Busan and Air Seoul — has recently shown a steady decline.

Between Dec 23 and 29, the six LCCs recorded a combined 1.36 million passengers, which fell to 1.16 million in the first week of January.

Though there was a slight rebound for Jan 13 to 19, the numbers were around 9 percent lower compared to the number of passengers recorded at the end of December. However, observers forecast that these numbers could decrease further following the recent Air Busan fire.

On social media platforms, several commenters spoke of an increased fear of flying.

"I've been planning this trip for months, but with the recent news of accidents involving planes, I don't feel confident about flying anymore," wrote one user.

To minimize travelers' fear of flying and regain consumers' trust in budget carriers, experts urged "comprehensive reform" of the aircraft maintenance system as well as an "expansion of maintenance personnel".

"Typically, the probability of an aircraft accident resulting in fatalities is as low as one in 10 million, but when such accidents occur, it can lead to a massive number of fatalities, resulting in significant social repercussions," said aviation safety management professor Kwon Bo-hun from Far East University of South Korea.

"A one-time inspection of an aircraft during an assigned inspection period is not enough. Instead, a comprehensive overhaul of the aircraft maintenance system, as well as an expansion in maintenance personnel is necessary."

Kwon added that "revisions of in-flight baggage policies and aviation safety regulations" are needed to prioritize passenger safety.

Kwon said measures to implement stricter guidelines on portable power banks or to restrict them completely should also be considered.

The government is looking into strengthening the regulations on carrying portable power banks on aircraft, which are to be announced by April this year, according to the land ministry of South Korea.

Discussions are underway regarding stricter limits on the quantity or capacity of portable power banks that can be brought on board, as well as designating specific storage locations by law and providing vinyl pouches at each airport to block the flow of electric currents from portable power banks.

Additionally, the possibility of mandating passengers to carry their portable power banks in hand is also being considered. While airlines instruct passengers before takeoff to keep their portable power banks in hand, these announcements lack enforceability, resulting in most passengers being unaware.

THE KOREA HERALD, SOUTH KOREA