Korean Air will stop providing cabin services 40 minutes before landing due to passenger safety concerns

A Korean Air flight attendant takes part in an emergency evacuation drill at the airline’s headquarters west of Seoul on May 23. Korean Air said Monday that its cabin crew will stop providing services 40 minutes before landing as the airline works to tighten safety regulations regarding the risk of turbulence.

By Jung Min-ho

Korean Air, the national carrier and the country’s largest airline, said on Monday its cabin crew would stop providing cabin services 40 minutes before landing, as the company prepares to tighten rules for safety following recent turbulence incidents.

The announcement comes after a serious incident of turbulence was reported on May 21 by Singapore Airlines, which left one person dead and dozens injured on a flight from Singapore to London.

Korean Air’s policy change aims to reduce the risk of safety incidents, including in turbulence-related scenarios, by giving flight attendants more time to focus on the safety of passengers and themselves before landing, the period when most in-flight accidents occur.

Previously, the company provided services up to 20 minutes before landing.

A Korean Air official said the number of instances of turbulence encountered by its planes has increased in recent years, with some experts predicting more frequent encounters in the future due to warming-induced changes in high-altitude wind speeds. climatic.