Fine of 12 Million Won
Asiana Airlines, which departed from Incheon Airport without loading the checked baggage of 294 passengers, has been fined for violating the Aviation Business Act. On October 2, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced that it had imposed a fine of 12 million won on Asiana Airlines.
Asiana Notified Passengers "We Couldn't Load Your Luggage" Only After Takeoff
The problematic flights were three Asiana Airlines passenger flights from Incheon to New York, United States, that operated between August 8 and 9. These flights were unable to load some checked baggage due to the need to take a detour to avoid volcanic ash caused by an eruption on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, citing safety and the need to minimize fuel consumption. However, it was revealed that Asiana Airlines became aware of the unshipped baggage 3 to 4 hours before the scheduled departure time, but only notified passengers via text message after takeoff.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport pointed out that Asiana's notification measures did not meet the current "Guidelines for the Protection of Air Transport Users." According to these guidelines, if checked baggage cannot be loaded, the airline must inform passengers in advance and provide guidance on how the issue will be handled. However, the text message sent by Asiana only included the phrase "Please inquire at the arrival airport," without any specific information about compensation plans or other details. As a result, the Ministry imposed a fine of 4 million won per flight, totaling 12 million won.
Aero K Notified Passengers of "2-Hour Delay" Right Before Departure
The Ministry also imposed a fine of 18 million won on the low-cost carrier Aero K. It was found that between March and June of this year, Aero K was aware in advance of delays on a total of nine flights but either failed to notify passengers or only informed them of the delay right before boarding. For some flights, passengers were notified of a "2-hour delay" just 19 minutes before departure, which the Ministry deemed excessively late.
This fine was finalized after a review by the Ministry's Administrative Disciplinary Review Committee and a hearing of the airlines' opinions.
Kim Youngguk, Director of Aviation Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated, "This means we will hold airlines strictly accountable if they neglect their notification obligations under the law," and added, "All airlines must strengthen their efforts to protect users and prevent similar cases from recurring."
Asiana Airlines responded, "We apologize to the passengers who experienced inconvenience, and we are improving our system to ensure that passengers are notified immediately if there is any possibility of baggage not being loaded."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
