Boeing 777 to Resume Domestic Flights as Early as Next Month

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunseok Yoo] The operation of Boeing 777 aircraft, which was suspended domestically due to engine failure during a flight in the United States, is expected to resume as early as next month.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the industry on the 19th, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines will begin maintenance of the Boeing 777 next week.

On February 20 last year, debris from a United Airlines Boeing 777 fell into a residential area over Denver, USA. In response, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport banned the operation of aircraft equipped with the problematic PW4000 series engines five days later, on February 25.

Korean Air decided to prioritize maintenance of the Boeing 777s owned by Jin Air, considering Jin Air's shortage of long-haul aircraft.

Korean Air and Asiana Airlines plan to perform maintenance based on the airworthiness improvement directive approved by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Afterward, if the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport inspects the improvements and finds no issues, domestic operation will be permitted.