IATA lobbies for carrier over SF mishap; rival KAL opposes leniency



By Kim Rahn



Korean Air and Asiana Airlines, the nation's two flagship carriers, are trading barbs over a penalty that may be slapped on Asiana for a plane crash in San Francisco in July last year.



All interested parties, including chiefs of the two companies, unions, foreign carriers operating in Korea and an international association of airlines have voiced their opinions on the proposed sanctions.



The crash-landing of Asiana's Boeing 777 flight at San Francisco International Airport on July 7 last year left three dead and 180 injured.



After the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded in June that pilot error was the main cause of the accident, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has been discussing how to punish Asiana.



The ministry initially planned to decide on sanctions back in August, but has been dragging its feet since then without providing an adequate reason, triggering rampant speculation across the industry.



According to domestic law, Asiana may be subject to a fine of between 750 million won and 2.25 billion won, or else banned from operating flights to San Francisco for a period of up to 90 days. While many industry sources expect a suspension of flights, Asiana is urging the government to issue a fine, as any suspension will cause huge losses to the carrier. A 90-day suspension for instance could cost the airline anything up to 30 billion won, in addition to damaging its already tarnished brand image.



Offering support to Asiana were International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General Antony Tyler, 43 domestic and foreign carriers operating in Korea, and seven Korean-American groups who filed petitions to the ministry for leniency.



Tyler said Asiana has already suffered a lot from the accident, "The imposition of further penalties by the state as an attempt to demonstrate oversight is disproportionate and unreasonable."



The 43 carriers also asked the government not to order a suspension of operations. "Please give a penalty that can minimize Asiana's financial losses so the airline can continue to invest in safety measures," they said.



Such appeals are irritating Korean Air, however.



Korean Air Chairman Cho Yang-ho said on Nov. 5 that the law is the law however undesirable it may be, implying that Asiana should receive the due sanction ― an operations suspension.



"It is up to the Korean government to decide on the penalty," Cho said. Regarding the IATA's letter to the government, he said it was an "intervention in domestic affairs."



The carrier also issued a statement last month, claiming that while the NTSB concluded that pilot error was the main cause of the accident, Asiana still points to flaws in the aircraft, misleading the issue.



"We are concerned that Asiana mobilizes interest groups to help create public opinion favorable toward it, focusing on profits and neglecting people's worries about safety."



Korean Air's position is perhaps linked to sanctions it received back in 1999 following a plane crash in Guam in 1997 that killed 229 people. The carrier's flights to Guam were suspended for three months, and it was banned from opening new routes for 18 months afterward.



While saying that punishment was "harsh," it added, "If a carrier receives a slap on the wrist such as a fine for a huge accident, it may lead to negligence in safety and consequently more accidents."



Concerning the criticism, Asiana issued its own statement to counter Korean Air: "Although we compete in other areas, we have to cooperate with and encourage each other over safety. Please show minimum magnanimity toward a company in the same industry that is trying to overcome difficulties and make efforts to ensure safety."



