Gimhae Airport in confusion: “I’m anxious so I’ll get on a plane.”

Lunar New Year holiday crowds cause confusion and even accidents
More and more passengers complaining of anxiety about boarding

Confusion and anxiety among citizens, including airport users, is spreading due to a fire accident on an Air Busan plane at Gimhae Airport in Busan, which occurred a month after the Jeju Air disaster at Muan Airport in Jeollanam-do. After the fire, aircraft delays and cancellations continued, and concerns about aircraft safety are growing.

Gimhae Airport, which was crowded with people during the Lunar New Year holiday, caused great confusion in the aftermath of the accident. On the 29th, 15 (10%) of 143 flights scheduled as of 5 p.m. were delayed. Air Busan found that 4 out of 42 flights (10%) were canceled.

On the 30th, 22 (15%) of 145 flights scheduled as of 3 p.m. were delayed. Air Busan showed that 11 out of 37 flights (30%) were delayed.

Sasang-gu resident Kim Gyu-ho (44), whom I met at the airport that day, said, “There are a lot of people during the holidays, but the bottleneck seems to be getting worse due to the lack of apron due to accidents.”

Mr. Kang (31), who visited Gimhae Airport on the 29th, said, “I feel sad when I think of the people who suffered dizzying accidents during the golden holidays,” and added, “I don’t know why bad things keep happening at the airport this year.”

Mr. Lee (49), who arrived at Gimhae Airport on the 28th after traveling overseas with his family, said, “This time, when I boarded the plane, I felt more anxious than before when I sensed even the slightest shaking or abnormality.

There is also a growing anxiety about travelers boarding airplanes and bringing in auxiliary batteries. Mr. Lee (43), an office worker who is about to go on his honeymoon in March, said, “I always tend to bring a spare battery with me when I travel because using Google Maps consumes a lot of battery power, but after seeing articles related to this fire, I am worried that there is a possibility that I may be held responsible if an accident occurs.”

Meanwhile, there are various opinions regarding whether passengers can be held responsible if a fire occurs due to an auxiliary battery brought on board. Dong-il Park, a representative attorney at Daeryun Law Firm, said, “Unless the passenger hid items prohibited from being carried on board the aircraft or stored them in a particularly dangerous condition, it is difficult to hold the customer entirely responsible.” He added, “If there is a problem with the battery itself, this is a problem that could also be transferred to product liability, so it does not seem easy to determine who is responsible.”

Reporter Son Hee-moon (moonsla@busan.com)

Reporter Kim Seong-hyeon (kksh@busan.com)

[View full article]
Gimhae Airport in confusion, “Will I get on a plane because I’m anxious?” (Shortcut)