South Korea Orders Suspension of Asiana Flights to San Francisco as Punishment for 2013 Crash

South Korean officials have suspended Asiana Airlines from flying to San Francisco for 45 days as punishment for the crash of Asiana Flight 214 in 2013. The airline plans to contest the suspension.

Asiana Airlines has been prohibited from flying to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) following a ruling from the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT). Reuters reports Asiana was issued a 45-day suspension of its route between Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN) and SFO on Friday. The ICN-SFO route is served by a 295-seat Boeing 777 and flies seven times a week, and if the suspension is upheld, Asiana would lose an estimated $13.6 million in revenue.

The suspension is directly attributed to Asiana Flight 214, a Boeing 777 which collided with a sea wall at SFO in July 2013 during a failed landing attempt, resulting in the death of three passengers and injury to more than 180.

Earlier this year, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) ruled the accident to be the result of pilot error. According to The New York Times, the NTSB found that critical mistakes were made as the Asiana pilots worked the automated systems during the approach and failed landing.

The MOLIT review committee reserved the option of suspending flights of the Asiana route for 90 days, but the board agreed to reduce the suspension based on the crew’s effective handling of the evacuation.

“All committee members agreed a suspension of operation was inevitable,” Kwon Yong-bok, head of MOLIT’s aviation security division, told South Korean state-run news agency Yonhap. “The committee decided to reduce the duration by 50 percent, which is the maximum reduction allowed under the law, considering the sincere and dedicated evacuation efforts by the flight’s crew that helped minimize casualties.”

Asiana issued a statement announcing plans to appeal the suspension and that it is considering undisclosed legal options that would keep its aircraft flying the route. “The decision will cause serious passenger inconvenience given the high traffic on the route,” read a portion of the statement, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. “In that case, the authorities are normally recommended by regulations to fine an airline instead of suspending flight.”

According to Reuters, approximately 170,000 flyers utilize Asiana’s ICN-SFO route annually. If the suspension is upheld, it would go into effect within the next 6 months, during a time period of Asiana’s choosing.

[Photo: Asiana Airlines Facebook]