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T'way Airlines |
[Alpha Biz= Reporter Kim Jisun] A specific aircraft operated by T'way Air was grounded by aviation authorities in July due to a mechanical defect. This is the same aircraft involved in the 11-hour delay on the Osaka route in June.
According to materials submitted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MOLIT) to the office of National Assembly member Lee Yeon-hee on October 6, MOLIT issued an order on July 26 to halt the operation of T'way Air's HL8501 aircraft (A330-300) and directed necessary maintenance. This was the first grounding of a specific aircraft since 2018.
MOLIT explained, "Due to a confirmed hydraulic system defect, the aircraft was temporarily grounded on July 26 for urgent corrective action. After maintenance procedures were completed, following the manufacturer's guidelines, the aircraft was cleared for operation again on July 30."
In June, HL8501 was initially scheduled for a flight from Incheon to Zagreb, Croatia, but a defect was discovered. T'way Air swapped it with another aircraft (HL8500) destined for Osaka, which later caused an 11-hour delay on the Osaka route.
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of mechanical issues and incidents with T'way Air's aircraft has been on the rise. From 33 cases in 2020, the number increased to 67 in 2021, 68 in 2022, and surged to 510 last year. As of June this year, 315 incidents had already been reported.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
