Bangkok-Muan Jeju Air route launched less than a month ago

Muan Airport revives international routes after 17 years; Jeju Air begins Bangkok flights on Dec. 8

By KTimes

The Jeju Air route connecting Muan International Airport and Bangkok, Thailand, is a newly added service introduced as part of the airport's revival of regular international flights after a 17-year hiatus, operating for less than a month, sources said Sunday.

Investigations are expected to focus on the airport's decades-long lack of experience in handling international flights. While there were a total of 181 people onboard, rescue authorities suspect almost all others, except for two people rescued, were also killed in the crash.

According to aviation industry sources and South Jeolla Province, Jeju Air began operating international flights to Bangkok from Muan Airport on Dec. 8. Prior to this, the airline had no flights connecting Muan with Bangkok or other international destinations.

The Bangkok-Muan route had been operational for only 21 days when the incident occurred.

The introduction of international flights at Muan Airport was part of South Jeolla Province's efforts to attract tourists to the southwestern region and accommodate the growing demand for overseas travel.

Starting Dec. 2, Jin Air launched regular flights connecting Muan with Narita and Osaka in Japan, as well as Taipei in Taiwan, alongside domestic flights to Jeju.

Jeju Air followed suit on Dec. 8, offering routes to Bangkok, Nagasaki (Japan), Taipei, Kota Kinabalu (Malaysia) and Jeju. The Bangkok-Muan route included flight numbers 7C 2216 and 7C 2215, operating four times a week on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Criticism has arisen within the aviation industry over whether the sudden introduction of regular international routes at Muan Airport was premature.

An industry official said, "Muan Airport hasn’t had much experience operating even domestic flights, and the tight schedules of low-cost carriers like Jeju Air may have exceeded the airport’s operational capacity."

In response to the incident, Jeju Air said, "We are currently investigating the situation and circumstances surrounding the incident," but has not yet provided a detailed account or official response.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.