On the 29th, a collision occurred at Muan International Airport in Jeollanam-do, and the monthly average transport time of Jeju Air's aircraft was found to be the longest among domestic airlines. While increasing transport time can enhance efficiency for the airline, longer operating times can increase airframe fatigue.
According to Jeju Air, the monthly average transport time per aircraft was recorded at 418 hours for the third quarter of this year. Monthly average operating time is calculated by dividing the revenue flight hours by the number of aircraft. As of the end of last month, Jeju Air had a total of 41 aircraft, combining passenger and freighter planes.
Following Jeju Air, T’way Air had a transport time of 386 hours, Jin Air had 371 hours, Korean Air had 355 hours, AIR BUSAN had 340 hours, and Asiana Airlines also had 355 hours. Jeju Air was the only airline operating over 400 hours in a month.
If fixed costs such as aircraft rental fees remain constant, airline revenue increases the more frequently aircraft are operated. In the third quarter of this year, Jeju Air's revenue amounted to 480.474 billion won, an increase of 8.3% compared to the same period last year.
Longer average flight times increase airframe fatigue. The average age of the aircraft owned by Jeju Air is 14.1 years, making it the oldest among domestic airlines. An aviation industry official noted, "Aircraft are assembled with intricate components, so the longer the airframe’s operating time, the quicker the aging of the airframe becomes."
Jeju Air stated that the accident that occurred that day was not due to airframe defects. A Jeju Air official noted, "The aircraft involved in the accident completed pre-departure and arrival checks as well as a 24-hour inspection." The 24-hour inspection is a detailed procedure conducted after a day's operation, more thorough than checks conducted before departure and arrival.