Korean Air goes on high alert, begins inspection of Airbus planes after 2 incidents

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After two incidents involving the same Airbus A330 model in less than two weeks, Korean Air Co. announced on Wednesday that it has started a thorough special safety audit of its whole fleet. The action was taken as a result of an A330 overrunning the runway at Mactan-Cebu International Airport in the Philippines on October 23, according to Yonhap News Agency. The A330 was carrying 162 passengers and 11 crew members. Although there were no reported casualties, the plane's belly suffered significant damage. On Sunday, an engine issue caused another A330 headed for Sydney to return to Incheon less than two hours after takeoff.

The South Korean flag carrier said it will temporarily take 24 Airbus A330s out of service in phases for an intensive inspection that began on Tuesday, adding it will retire six old Airbus A330s from its fleet. However, it did not provide a specific time frame.

"Korean Air is aware of the gravity of the recent events involving our A330 aircraft," Korean Air President Woo Kee-hong said in a meeting with the transport minister and other top executives of South Korean airlines on aviation safety.

"To address concerns and secure a safe operation system, we will carry out a full-scale, comprehensive safety inspection of our A330 fleet and seek an independent, external safety consultation."

Korea Air said it will introduce a total of 90 new aircraft -- 10 Boeing 787-9, 20 Boeing 787-10, 30 Boeing 737-8, and 30 Airbus A321neo -- by 2028 while phasing out six Boeing 777-200ERs and six A330s.

With inputs from IANS