Boeing’s stock price dropped after a Jeju Air accident in South Korea. On Monday, Boeing’s shares closed down 2.3% as investigators began examining a Boeing passenger plane crash.
On Sunday, a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 exploded while landing at Muan International Airport in Korea after a collision.
The aircraft attempted to land without lowering its landing gear and struck a concrete wall, resulting in the deaths of 179 passengers. Only two crew members survived.
Footage from the incident shows smoke billowing from one of the engines, likely caused by a bird strike. This may have contributed to both the landing gear malfunction and the aircraft’s approach issues.
The South Korean government announced plans to conduct safety inspections on all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by domestic airlines.
Jung Jong Wan, head of the Aviation Policy Office at the South Korean Ministry of Transport, stated during a briefing, “We plan to implement strict aviation safety inspections in response to the landing gear incident.”
Boeing responded with an online statement stating that it is in contact with Jeju Air regarding the crash and is prepared to assist with the investigation.
Jeju Air operates 38 Boeing 737-800 jets. Other South Korean airlines with 737-800 aircraft include T’way Air (27 jets), Jin Air (19 jets), and Eastar Jet (10 jets).
The 737-800 is an older model in Boeing’s 737 series, which debuted in 1997. The 737 MAX has since replaced it, though the transition has been gradual.
According to Cirium, 180 airlines worldwide operate the 737-800, with 4,400 units currently in service. This model accounts for 17% of the global commercial aircraft fleet.
Concerns over Boeing’s aircraft safety have grown due to recent accidents involving its planes.
Earlier this year, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily grounded the Boeing 737 MAX, and production was monitored after an incident in January when a door plug detached mid-flight on an Alaska Airlines plane.
This grounding followed two fatal crashes of the 737 MAX in 2018 and 2019, which killed all 346 passengers and crew members. The crashes led to a 20-month model grounding while safety measures were implemented.
Critics have highlighted a flaw in one of the aircraft’s safety systems that contributed to the two fatal 737 MAX crashes.
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