Jeju Air’s flight 7C2216 crashed on Sunday, killing 179 of the 181 people on board.
What model was the plane that crashed?
The 737-800 is one of the “next generation” models of Boeing’s bestselling 737 series, which was first launched in 1993. The 800 variant first flew in 1997, and was the biggest seller of that generation. It has a maximum capacity of 189 passengers.
The 800 and its next-generation siblings were replaced by the 737-Max, which was closely related but with bigger engines and other upgrades. Design flaws in the Max were at fault in two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people. Those crashes began the biggest crisis in Boeing’s history, with the entire 737-Max fleet grounded until the design faults were rectified.
How many are in use?
The 737-800 will be familiar to many flyers. About 15% of the global passenger aircraft fleet (4,400 planes) are Boeing 737-800s, according to data from the aviation analytics firm Cirium cited by the New York Times.
More than 180 airlines around the world use the 737-800 as the workhorse of their fleets, according to theSeatMaps website. They include the big three US carriers – American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta – Europe’s largest airline, Ryanair, and many others including Qantas, Singapore Airlines and the Netherlands’ KLM, according to SeatMaps.
What happened on the flight?
Flight 7C2216 was filled with holidaymakers travelling from Bangkok to Muan in South Korea. It may be some weeks before investigators make public any findings of what caused the crash. Air traffic controllers had issued a bird strike warning as the plane approached the runway, but some experts have questioned whether that could have caused the crash.
The aircraft stopped broadcasting automated tracking data shortly before it landed without its landing gear extended. The plane then slid along the runway before colliding with an antenna array and bursting into flames. Officials confirmed 179 deaths, with only two crew members found in the tail section surviving. The victims were aged from three to 78.
What has Jeju Air said?
The Korean airline’s chief executive, Kim E-bae, has said he wanted “to bow my head and apologise”, according to a statement on the company’s website. He expressed his condolences to the families of those killed and said Jeju Air would do whatever it could to support them.
In the statement Kim said it was “difficult to determine the cause of the accident”, adding: “Regardless of the cause of the accident, I feel responsible as the CEO.” The company has removed booking tools from its website homepage.
What has Boeing said?
A company spokesperson said: “We are in contact with Jeju Air regarding flight 2216 and stand ready to support them. We extend our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones, and our thoughts remain with the passengers and crew.”
The manufacturer said it was legally obliged to refer all queries about the accident to South Korea’s Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board (ARAIB).
What will happen now?
The crash happened with South Korea in political turmoil after the impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol, the president, after he decreed and then cancelled martial law. However, the acting president, Choi Sang-mok, has ordered an emergency safety inspection of the country’s entire airline operations, as well as a seven-day period of national mourning.
South Korea’s transport ministry has also ordered an inspection of every Boeing 737-800 operating in the country.
In the meantime, Jeju Air has disclosed it has experienced a surge in booking cancellations, saying about 68,000 flight reservations had been cancelled, according to the Yonhap news agency.