Korea issues inspection order for Boeing planes after US flight emergency

Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport issued an urgent directive to national airlines operating the Boeing 737 Max 8 model on Sunday.

Passenger oxygen masks hang from the roof next to a missing window and a portion of a side wall of an Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, which had been bound for Ontario, California and suffered depressurization soon after departing, in Portland, Oregon, on Friday in this picture obtained from social media. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Korea's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport issued an urgent directive to national airlines operating the Boeing 737 Max 8 model on Sunday. This follows a recent incident in the United States involving a Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft that resulted in a hole in the plane’s fuselage during the flight, prompting an emergency landing.

None of the Korean national airlines currently operate the specific Boeing 737 Max 9 involved in the incident.

However, carriers such as Korean Air (with five aircraft), Eastar Jet (with four), T'way Air and Jeju Air (each with two) and Jin Air (with one), collectively possess and operate a total of 14 Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft.

Despite being a different model, the Max 8 aircraft is now subject to "proactive inspection measures," explained the Ministry of Transport.

Airlines have been instructed to conduct comprehensive inspections of the Max 8 aircraft, with a specific focus on structural integrity concerning entry and exit doors and their proper attachment, according to the ministry.

An Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max 9 had to make an emergency landing shortly after taking off from Portland, Oregon, on Friday after a window and part of the fuselage blew out in mid-air shortly after takeoff.

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]