Korean Air Lines said on the 29th that it successfully completed an emergency evacuation demonstration conducted with Asiana Airlines to verify the safety response capabilities of cabin crew members of the integrated airline.
The demonstration took place on the 28th at the cabin training center in Gangseo District, Seoul. This test was the first emergency evacuation demonstration in which cabin crews from both airlines participated jointly and two different aircraft types were deployed simultaneously.
The demonstration was conducted as part of the implementation plan for approval of the integrated air operator certificate (AOC) that the two airlines have pursued under the supervision of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport over the past two years, to verify whether cabin crews from both airlines can perform safety duties at the same level.
The demonstration was carried out in the presence of aviation safety inspectors from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and was attended by Woo Kee-Hong, vice chairman and CEO of Korean Air Lines; Yoo Jong-seok, head of safety and health and executive vice president of operations; and Jang Sung-hyun, executive vice president of marketing, IT, cabin and service. From Asiana Airlines, Cho Seong-bae, head of safety and health and executive vice president of operations, and others attended.
A total of two aircraft types, the Boeing 787-9 and Boeing 737-900, were deployed for the demonstration. Although Asiana Airlines does not operate either aircraft, Korean Air Lines has enhanced the response capabilities of both airlines' crews through integrated training to obtain integrated AOC approval.
The demonstration included an oral evaluation on emergency landing and ditching equipment, a life raft boarding demonstration, an evacuation demonstration during a rejected takeoff, and an evacuation demonstration during an emergency ditching. Fourteen cabin crew members from each airline took part, and eight Korean Air Lines crew members provided support.
Korean Air Lines also plans to conduct a "comprehensive merger and acquisition verification flight" next month under the auspices of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Through this, the company intends to verify whether the fleets and personnel of both airlines can operate safely and organically under an integrated operating system.
A Korean Air Lines official said, "This demonstration confirmed the foundation for crews from both airlines to respond stably even in an integrated operating environment," adding, "Korean Air Lines will continue systematic training and verification with safety as the top priority even after the launch of the integrated airline."