Kim I-bae, CEO of Jeju Air, "Apologizes to Bereaved Families... Deeply Responsible Regardless of Cause"

Kim I-bae, CEO of Jeju Air, on the 29th expressed, regarding the aircraft crash accident at Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do, "I offer my deepest condolences and apologies to the passengers who lost their lives in the accident and their bereaved families."

Kim I-bae, CEO of Jeju Air, is leaving the press conference room after finishing a briefing on the passenger plane accident at Muan International Airport on the 29th, held at the press center set up at the Mayfield Hotel in Gangseo-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Yonhap News

In an apology posted on the Jeju Air homepage that day, CEO Kim stated, "Regardless of the cause of the accident, I deeply feel responsible as the chief executive officer. Once again, I pray for the souls of those who lost their lives in the accident and offer my sincere apologies to the bereaved families."

He added, "At present, it is difficult to estimate the cause of the accident, and we must wait for the official investigation announcement from the relevant government agencies. We will do our utmost together with the government to quickly manage the aftermath of the accident, support the families of the passengers, and determine the cause of the accident."

Jeju Air announced, "We are currently operating under a company-wide emergency response system," and "We have formed a support team for the bereaved families and will provide all necessary assistance to the victims and their families without omission."

On the same day, Jeju Air held an emergency meeting at the Aviation Support Center office in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, chaired by CEO Kim. It was reported that all executives and team leaders were summoned.

A Jeju Air official explained, "We are currently identifying the exact cause and situation," adding, "It has been confirmed that the aircraft's age (years in service) is 15 years, and there is no accident history. We will check whether there is any history of malfunctions."

According to the Fire Agency, at around 9:03 a.m. that day, a report was received that Jeju Air flight 7C2216 from Bangkok, Thailand, crashed while attempting to land on the runway at Muan International Airport. The aircraft involved was a B737-800, carrying a total of 181 people, including 175 passengers and 6 crew members. The fire authorities began searching from the rear of the aircraft and have rescued 2 people so far, with the death toll confirmed at 96.