Deadliest December for global aviation, a somber end to 2024
The most tragic incident was the Jeju Air plane crash on Dec 29 that ruined plans and hopes of families and friends of 179 people on board the ill-fated aircraft that was returning from Bangkok, Thailand.
KUALA LUMPUR - Several airlines encountered devastating challenges, transforming the end of the year into a tragic chapter for aviation worldwide, resulting in a somber and deadly December for many, marking a stark contrast to hopes for a prosperous conclusion to the year.
The most tragic incident was the Jeju Air plane crash on Dec 29 that ruined plans and hopes of families and friends of 179 people on board the ill-fated aircraft that was returning from Bangkok, Thailand.
Only two crew members were reportedly rescued from the wreckage.
Harrowing footage of the airlines landing on its belly and subsequently colliding with a barrier at Muan International Airport on Sunday and bursting into flames were shared on multiple social media platforms.
The Boeing 737-800, which is believed to have experienced a landing gear malfunction during its descent, had travelled between Muan, Jeju Island and Incheon, Seoul within the prior 48-hour period.
It operated 13 flights in 48 hours prior to the incident, raising concerns over excessive usage within a short period. Based on industry standards and requirements, airplanes require an adequate amount of time for maintenance, refuelling and cleaning between flights.
Although the turnaround time is fixed by airlines, the procedures remain the same as suggested by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), beginning with arrival, loading, unloading, securing and spreading the load, and inspecting unit load devices (ULD) for damage, as well as departure.
If the probes reveal maintenance negligence, this raises concerns over whether the low-cost carrier had been prioritising operational efficiency over the safety of passengers, crew members and the aircraft.
Following that, another Jeju Air Flight 7C101 returned to the airport of departure following take-off on Monday over a landing gear issue, a day after a similar malfunction caused a crash during landing, Yonhap news agency reported, as cited by Xinhua.
Jeju Air flight 7C101 departed from Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul for the southern resort island of Jeju at 6.37am local time (2137 GMT Sunday).
A landing gear issue was found shortly after it took off. The Boeing 737-800 returned to the Gimpo airport at 7.25am local time after informing the 161 passengers on board.
Just four days prior to this deadly crash at Muan International Airport, Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 crashed on Dec 25, killing 38 out of 67 passengers on board near Aktau Airport in Kazakhstan.
The Embraer ERJ-190AR plane, operating a flight from Baku to Grozny, sparked speculation that it had been downed by an attack after large holes were seen on the tail of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane.
According to news reports Russian president Vladimir Putin has apologised to his Azerbaijani counterpart over the crash after entering the Russian airspace, but did not say that Russia was responsible.
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has called for an independent investigation, with all affected states to be invited.
It said the investigators are mandated to identify all relevant information on the incident and to report on the facts and any potential safety or security-related factors that may have caused or contributed to this tragedy.
In addition to these incidents, a light aircraft belonging to the Jazirah Aviation Club crashed into the coast of Ras Al Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Sunday, killing two people.
On Dec 22, a private ATR-72 turboprop plane crashed in Gramado, Brazil, killing ten people on board and injuring 17 people on the ground.
The aircraft hit the chimney of a house and another house before crashing into a shop in a residential neighbourhood.
On the same day, another small plane was reported to have crashed in a remote area of Morobe Province in Papua New Guinea, killing five people on board.
On Dec 17, Kamaka Air Flight 689 crashed into a vacant building near Honolulu Airport in Hawaii shortly after takeoff, killing two people.
Meanwhile, on Dec 23, the pilot of a light aircraft died after crashing into a field near Fife Airport in Scotland, United Kingdom.
On Dec 17, a Bombardier BD-100-1A10 Challenger 300 crashed near San Fernando Airport in Argentina, killing both pilots.
On Dec 20, a Cessna aircraft flying from Porto Velho to Manaus in Brazil went missing, and its wreckage was found in the Amazon rainforest a few days later. Both people on board were confirmed dead.
Besides fatal crashes, the month also saw several non-fatal incidents, including a KLM Boeing 737-800 making an emergency landing at Sandefjord Torp Airport in Norway after a hydraulic failure, and Air Canada Express Flight 2259 experiencing a landing gear failure upon arriving at Halifax Stanfield International Airport, both on Dec 28.
The tragic incidents throughout the month, killing more than 200 people, have certainly triggered enhanced scrutiny of global aviation standards. - BERNAMA
