Around 11 p.m., an aircraft carrying about 300 passengers took off, returned twice, and was canceled after five hours. The airline did not offer a sip of water and has only mentioned supporting the economy-class fare.
This is what Kim, a passenger who faced inconvenience when the Air Premia flight (YP602) from Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, scheduled to arrive at Incheon International Airport, was canceled due to a defect in the aircraft on the evening of the 5th at 10:45 p.m., said.
The aircraft took off as scheduled, but a phenomenon of jet fuel odor entering the cabin occurred, and a defect in the control system was discovered, leading to the return. The aircraft that returned took off again the next day at 3 a.m. after maintenance but turned back again while circling in Thai airspace. It returned to the departure point at 4 a.m., but no alternative flight was arranged. Passengers had to secure their own return flights individually according to the airline's guidance.
Kim noted, "Due to the aftermath of the earthquake in Bangkok, there were insufficient flights, making it difficult for many travelers to secure tickets. I was able to return home by finding a flight on the 8th, three days later than scheduled."
Air Premia allowed for free date changes for tickets or full refunds without cancellation fees. Alternatively, they stated they would cover the expense for alternative flights based on economy class but noted it would take 2 to 3 months, drawing criticism.
Kim said, "Almost 300 passengers suffered extreme distress due to this incident. It seems necessary to impose strict regulations on airlines to prevent such occurrences from happening again."
Passengers who were to use Air Premia flight (YP112) from San Francisco, U.S., to Korea on the 6th also had to change their flights due to unilateral schedule changes. One passenger reported, "I received a message the night before departure that the flight schedule had been changed to the following morning. I had to forfeit a night's stay at the hotel, yet the airline only mentioned they would not charge cancellation fees and provided no compensation measures."
Passengers' complaints are growing as incidents of cancellations and delays at Air Premia continue. Air Premia operates seven aircraft, but aircraft No. 3, 4, and 5 are in an out-of-service status (AOG - Airplane On Ground) due to defects. Aircraft No. 7 assigned to flight YP602, which Kim used, had its defect resolved on the 6th and was reintroduced into commercial operations.
Air Premia changed the operation schedules of 36 flights just last month. There were four cancellations. This month, until the 5th, 11 flights were canceled, and six changes to the operation schedules were announced.
Despite frequent delays and cancellations, Air Premia is aggressively expanding its routes. Since July, Air Premia has confirmed four weekly flights to Hawaii in the U.S. and is currently selling tickets, while also pushing to launch service to Seattle within the year. Additionally, they've added overnight flights to the Los Angeles (LA) route and are increasing flights to New York and San Francisco during the summer peak season.
Among passengers, there are criticisms that Air Premia is prioritizing aggressive expansion over service improvements. An industry insider stated, "Currently, Air Premia's operational behavior is abnormal and the airline is preparing to increase flights and launch services with charters, but the exhaustion of the staff who must listen to passenger complaints is significant. This will not be good for the airline's image."