FLYERS were left panicking in mid-air after another South Korean Boeing suffered a landing gear issue hours after the deadly crash that killed 179.
The unidentified malfunction happened on the same model of plane as the Jeju Air flight that smashed into a runway embankment on Sunday and exploded.
Jeju Air Flight 7C101 left Gimpo Airport for Jeju at 6.37am. However, only an hour later, a defect in the landing gear was discovered, prompting the plane to turn back.
Upon landing safely, 21 out of the 161 passengers aboard the Boeing 737-800 opted not to reboard the flight due to heightened anxiety about flying again.
Jeju Air transferred the remaining passengers to a replacement flight of the same model Boeing and departed for Jeju again at 8.30am.
A Jeju Air official said about the incident: “The turnaround was a necessary measure for safe operation.
“We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused to our passengers.”
Jeju Air currently operates 39 Boeing 737-800s out of its fleet of 41.
South Korea’s acting president has now ordered an emergency safety inspection of the country’s entire airline industry.
Choi Sang-mok also has asked investigators to disclose the findings of their investigation into the doomed Jeju Air jet promptly.
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