A second Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 flight encountered landing gear issues, forcing it to return to Seoul’s Gimpo International Airport shortly after takeoff. Flight 7C101, carrying passengers early on December 30, reported a monitoring system alert regarding the landing gear. While the issue briefly resolved itself, the decision was made to land the plane for a thorough inspection. Fortunately, the incident concluded without injuries.
This follows a deadly crash involving another Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 at South Korea’s Muan International Airport on December 29, which killed 179 of the 181 people on board. Officials have since launched emergency safety inspections of all 737-800 aircraft operated in the country. Acting President Choi Sang-mok called for a complete overhaul of South Korea’s aviation safety systems to prevent future tragedies.
Aviation expert David Learmount criticized the conditions at Muan Airport, pointing to the presence of a concrete wall at the runway’s end as a contributing factor to the high death toll in the previous crash. He described the wall’s placement as “criminal,” arguing it exacerbated the devastation.
These back-to-back incidents have raised serious concerns about the safety of Boeing 737-800 models in South Korea, prompting an urgent review of operational practices and infrastructure to ensure passenger safety.
