Korean Air delays B737 MAX 8 plans over safety concerns

March 29, 2019 | 08:17

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Korean Air, South Korea’s largest airline, has announced that it will not operate B737 MAX 8 until the aircraft’s safety is perfectly assured.

korean air delays b737 max 8 plans over safety concerns

While Korean Air had planned to introduce B737 MAX 8 this May, the airline announced to substitute B737 MAX 8 with other aircraft for the routes originally in its operation plan.

“Korean Air considers customer safety as the utmost priority and is dedicated to maintaining the absolute safety of theoperation system,” reads the statement.

Korean Air is monitoring the situation closely, and trusts Boeing to take the necessary measures swiftly to ensure the aircraft’s safety.

The airline’s decision came after the latest crash involving a B737 Max 8 recently operated by Ethiopian Airlines, killing more than 150 passengers and the crew. It was the second crash of the same model in five months, after a Lion Air flight crashed in Indonesia in October, killing 189.

Korean Air does not yet have any B737 Max 8s in its fleet, but was scheduled to receive six this year.

In 2015, Korean Air ordered 30 B737 Max 8 planes from Boeing with an option for 20 additional jets. The deliveries were to be made gradually from this year through 2025.

Korean Air officially opened its representative office in Hanoi in 2009. Since then, it has added new direct routes from South Korea to Vietnam. Currently, Korean Air operates ten flights connecting cities of South Korea and Vietnam.