Jeju Air issues public apology, denies negligence in aircraft maintenance

[Anchor]

Let's find out the position and response of Jeju Air.

We will connect to our reporter at the Jeju Air desk at Gimpo Airport.

Reporter Choi Yoo-kyung, has Jeju Air revealed its stance on the cause of the accident?

[Reporter]

So, about five hours after the accident, around 2 PM, Jeju Air's CEO Kim Yi-bae personally issued a public apology.

He expressed, "I extend my deepest condolences and apologies to the passengers who lost their lives in this accident and their families," and bowed his head repeatedly, but he refrained from commenting on the cause of the accident, stating that they would wait for the government's investigation results.

In response to questions about whether there was negligence in aircraft maintenance or if there was reckless operation, he completely denied those claims.

He explained that there were no particular accident histories or abnormal signs.

Additionally, he stated that the aircraft involved in the accident had completed pre-departure and arrival inspections. But when asked about specific maintenance records, he said they had submitted everything to the government and did not provide further details.

Meanwhile, the parent company of Jeju Air, Aekyung Group, issued an apology today (Dec. 29) in the name of Chairman Jang Young-shin, stating, "We will do our utmost to support the accident recovery efforts at the Group level."

[Anchor]

What is the progress of the airline's recovery measures?

[Reporter]

First, they announced that they have dispatched a support team of 260 for the family members of the passengers to the accident site at Muan Airport.

Each family will be supported by two designated staff members.

They plan to secure accommodation in Gwangju, Mokpo, and Muan to provide for the families of the passengers who have come to the site.

Additionally, with Muan Airport being closed for the time being, they have decided to compensate schedule changes and cancellations for passengers whose departures have been disrupted.

Jeju Air stated that the aircraft involved in the accident is covered by a liability insurance of $1 billion, approximately 1.5 trillion won, and they will do their best to support the victims based on this.

Jeju Air has set up a contact number for passenger identification, and they reported that there were 4,310 inquiries just today.

This has been Choi Yoo-kyung from KBS News at Gimpo Airport.