Escaped: Jin Air B737 leaves Muan Airport after being trapped for 50 days
A Boeing 737-800 operated by South Korean low-cost carrier Jin Air has finally been allowed to depart from Muan Airport after 50 days of being trapped there. It is understood that the aircraft was the only other commercial aircraft on the ground at Muan International Airport (MWX) in South Jeolla Province when on December 29, 2024, a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 crashed after making an emergency landing, killing 179 of the 181 passengers and crew onboard. The airport’s runway was immediately closed following the accident to allow investigators to begin their work unencumbered by aircraft operations.
The Jin Air aircraft, a 9.6-year-old Boeing 737-800 registered as HL801 flew into Muan Airport as Jin Air flight JNA748 from Taipei at 08:54 on December 29, 2024, However, it became stranded at the airport following the subsequent fatal arrival of the Jeju Air flight at 09:03 on the same day. The aircraft remained parked at the terminal for fifty days waiting for the Korean aviation authorities to allow the runway to re-open, allowing it to depart.
Despite multiple requests from the airline to relocate HL8012 back to Seoul, the Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) repeatedly denied clearance without providing a clear explanation as to its reasoning. Other aircraft present at Muan Airport during the Jeju Air incident included a Korean Coast Guard transport plane and a university training aircraft.
Cristi Croitoru / ShutterstockHowever, while these two planes were granted departure clearance on January 12 and January 21, 2025, respectively, when the runway was temporarily reopened for their recovery, the Jin Air aircraft was not allowed to depart. Speculation in the Korean media suggested that the authorities may have been examining whether the Jin Air landing schedule may have played a role in the Jeju Air crash. However, this was never confirmed nor denied by MOLIT.
Then, during a parliamentary hearing held on February 6, 2025, regarding the Jeju Air crash, a MOLIT spokesperson stated, “If the Jin Air aircraft is not required for the investigation and poses no safety threat, there is no reason to prevent its departure.”
On February 7, 2025, Jin Air commenced legal proceedings against the authorities in the Seoul Central District Court to reverse its decision denying clearance for the carrier to recover its aircraft. The claim sought to recover costs it alleged it had incurred as a direct result of the aircraft’s involuntary incarceration at Muan Airport. The carrier estimates its financial losses amount to tens of billions of Korean won due to the aircraft’s prolonged grounding.
Local reports state that Jin Air pays lessor Air Lease Corporation $210,000 per month to lease the plane, with additional costs also forming part of the airline’s claim for losses relating to lost peak-season revenue, maintenance costs, and parking fees.
However, the move to commence a legal claim against MOLIT seemed to have its desired effect. According to aviation industry sources, on February 13, 2025, the authorities granted permission for the runway to temporarily reopen at Muan to allow Jin Air to retrieve its stranded plane. The airline was allocated a departure slot of 12:30 on February 16, 2025, for the aircraft to depart, giving the airline around 48 hours to make the necessary arrangements.
parkdolly / ShutterstockAt 12:17 on the allocated date, HL8012 departed Muan Airport for a 45-minute ferry flight back to the airline’s base at Seoul-Gimpo International Airport (GMP) where it subsequently underwent a series of maintenance checks before re-entering commercial service. On February 18, 2025, the aircraft operated Jin Air flight JNA671 from Seoul to Yeosu Airport (YSU), also located in South Jeolla Province. The plane has since flown five more sectors on February 189, 2025.
It remains unclear at the time of writing whether the recovery of the aircraft means that the legal proceedings will be discontinued or whether the airline will continue to seek damages for the losses it incurred.
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The post Escaped: Jin Air B737 leaves Muan Airport after being trapped for 50 days appeared first on AeroTime.
A Boeing 737-800 operated by South Korean low-cost carrier Jin Air has finally been allowed to depart from…
The post Escaped: Jin Air B737 leaves Muan Airport after being trapped for 50 days appeared first on AeroTime.
