On the 29th, the number of pilots at Jeju Air, involved in a passenger plane collision accident at Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do, has shown a decline for three consecutive years from 2020 to last year. On that day, a Jeju Air passenger plane attempted a belly landing due to the landing gear not functioning but collided with the airport's outer wall after landing, resulting in a large number of casualties.
According to data from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the number of pilots at Jeju Air increased from 660 in 2019 (combined transport and business pilots) to 707 in 2020. However, as air travel was hindered due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number fell to 683 in 2021 and 663 in 2022. Last year, it further decreased to 656.
The number of pilots at Jeju Air is the largest among low-cost carriers (LCC), but it is interpreted that many pilots have switched to other airlines as new LCCs have emerged.
T’way Air, which increased its fleet during the pandemic, saw its number of pilots decrease from 417 in 2020 to 369 in 2021, but it increased to 395 the following year and rose to 502 last year.
Aero K, which launched on March 18, 2021, increased its number of pilots from 18 in 2021 to 62 last year, and Aero Premium's number of pilots also rose from 38 to 100 during this period.
It has been reported that dozens of pilots have also left Jeju Air this year. Some LCCs, like T’way Air and Aero Premium, are aggressively expanding their routes and offering better conditions to attract personnel.