An on-site inspection is scheduled for Monday, February 3, 2025, concerning the fire incident aboard an Air Busan plane, which occurred as it attempted to take off from Gimhae International Airport on Tuesday evening. A joint investigation committee, formed by South Korea’s transport ministry, is moving forward with its plans after conducting preliminary safety checks.
The Air Busan flight, scheduled to depart for Hong Kong, experienced fire shortly after 10:15 p.m. local time prior to takeoff. Luckily, all 169 passengers and seven crew members managed to evacuate the aircraft safely via emergency slides, with seven individuals suffering only minor injuries. An Air Busan spokesperson reported to Reuters the fire was first detected by a flight attendant who spotted flames emanated from the rear left-hand corner of the cabin.
Following the incident, authorities assessed the plane’s safety condition on Friday, declaring it appropriate for investigation, allowing the process to continue without offloading the substantial fuel amounts still onboard. At the time of the inspection, the aircraft, which is identified as a France-based Airbus A321 model, had approximately 35,900 pounds (or 16,280 kilograms) of jet fuel still intact, alongside other oxygen tanks. This was considered manageable by the transport ministry, which mentioned there was no immediate need to drain any fuel.
The incident adds layers of urgency due to the backdrop of the recent Jeju Air crash, which was South Korea's deadliest air disaster, occurring only one month before this incident. That tragedy saw significant loss of life after the jet made an emergency landing at Muan Airport. This looming disaster background has heightened scrutiny over aviation safety standards within the region.
Air Busan’s aircraft has noticeable burn damage, particularly with holes extending along the fuselage roof, but fortunately, areas such as the wings and engines remained intact. Authorities emphasized the risk assessment conducted on the grounded A321 highlights substantial variables with fuel and oxygen still being present onboard. This raised concerns among investigation officials, reflecting the complexity of safely conducting the probe.
International collaboration seems to be at the forefront of this inquiry. The South Korean Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board leads the investigation, now supplemented by the participation of investigative representatives from France’s Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses (BEA) agency, as France is known as the state of design for Airbus planes. Their partnership could provide enduring expertise to fully address questions sparked by this incident.
According to investigators, the Fire-Damaged Air Busan jet remains visibly exposed on the tarmac at Gimhae International Airport. To protect it from the elements during the assessment, authorities plan to cover the plane with a canopy. Investigators will also employ sophisticated techniques to review the aircraft’s black box, helping to piece together pivotal moments leading up to the fire.
Despite the recent troubles, there’s been economic impacts felt by Air Busan, with shares sliding down by 3.2% recently, following the news of the fire. This decline came after experiencing as much as 6.1% drop after the long holiday break. Air Busan remains part of South Korea’s larger aviation industry, connecting to Korea Air via its parent company, the recently acquired Korean Air.
Passengers affected by the evacuation were assured they would soon reclaim their belongings stored within the aircraft’s cargo hold. The transport ministry declared on Friday, February 1, 2025, the baggage was cleared after due inspections and will be returned soon.
Overall, this event poses significant questions about safety measures and oversight within the aviation industry, particularly following two recent incidents with seemingly connected threads of aviation safety concerns. Moving forward, the comprehensive investigation may lead to revised protocols to prevent similar occurrences, addressing both safety and trust issues for passengers flying with Air Busan and others within South Korea’s aviation framework.