Jeju Air sees 68,000 cancellations after plane crash that claimed 179 lives

News reports indicate that many customers were inquiring about whether their flights were on the same Boeing 737-800 model, and some sought to cancel if so

Following the tragic crash of Jeju Air Flight 2216, which resulted in the deaths of 179 people, the airline announced on Monday that it was experiencing a significant number of cancellations. The Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 crashed on Sunday at Muan, en route from Thailand to South Korea with 181 people aboard. It suffered a bird strike, issued a mayday call, belly-landed, and collided with a barrier, causing a fire that resulted in a fatal disaster.

 

All passengers aboard the flight lost their lives, with the exception of two flight attendants who were rescued from the wreckage.

 

According to a Jeju Air representative, around 68,000 flight bookings were cancelled between midnight on Sunday and 1:00 pm Monday (0400 GMT). This included approximately 33,000 cancellations for domestic flights and 34,000 for international routes.

 

 

Despite the cancellations, the airline reported that new bookings were still being made. Song Kyung-hoon, Jeju Air's head of management support, said at a news conference that while the cancellation rate was somewhat higher than usual, new bookings were continuing to come in.

 

Travel agencies also reported a surge in cancellations, driven by concerns related to the crash. One major agency shared that they had received at least 400 cancellations in the first hour of business. Many customers were inquiring about whether their flights were on the same Boeing 737-800 model, and some sought to cancel if so.

 

In another incident, a Jeju Air flight from Seoul on Monday had to return due to a landing gear issue. This aircraft was also a Boeing 737-800, the same model involved in the crash. According to local media, 21 passengers chose not to board a replacement flight, citing safety concerns.

 

Jeju Air’s stock fell by up to 15 per cent on Monday, and shares of its major shareholder, AK Holdings Inc., dropped by more than 12 per cent. Additionally, shares of several domestic tour agencies saw a decline of more than 5 per cent.

 

[With AFP inputs]