An Eastar Jet aircraft, which was supposed to fly from Okinawa, Japan, to South Korea, was stranded locally due to a structural defect. The 133 passengers on board had to return to the terminal after waiting for nearly four hours.
According to the aviation industry on the 15th, flight ZE632 (Boeing 737-8) bound for Incheon, which was scheduled to depart from Naha International Airport in Okinawa at 3 p.m. the previous day, underwent two ramp returns due to an issue with the air conditioning system before takeoff.
Eastar Jet completed the aircraft maintenance around 9 p.m. and took off again at 9:46 p.m., but this time a problem was detected in the cabin pressure control system. Ultimately, Eastar Jet returned to Naha Airport and confirmed the cancellation of the flight.
The troubled aircraft is expected to be returned to Incheon after parts are replaced locally later that afternoon. The aircraft is a Boeing 737 MAX series, a medium-sized passenger plane. It has been involved in a series of safety incidents, including one in January last year when part of an Alaska Airlines passenger aircraft fell off.
Eastar Jet plans to provide compensation in accordance with its internal regulations. A company official noted, "We provided hotel accommodations near the airport for passengers and offered alternative flights or refunds from other airlines departing that day," and added, "We apologize for the inconvenience caused to the passengers."