On-site investigation of burned-out Air Busan plane to begin (updated)

Korean Air Lines Co

31/01/2025 07:12

(Re-casts with statement saying plane safe to investigate,
baggage returned, share price)
       SEOUL, Jan 31 (Reuters) - 
    Passengers evacuated from an Air Busan  298690.KS  plane
that was engulfed in flames this week at a South Korean airport
will have their checked baggage returned to them, after
authorities on Friday deemed the jet safe for a full
investigation. 
        All 169 passengers and seven crew members were evacuated
from the Airbus  AIR.PA  A321ceo using emergency slides after
the fire broke out on Tuesday, with only a few minor injuries,
Air Busan said. 
    The fire, which began about 10:15 p.m. (1315 GMT) as the
single-aisle jet was preparing for departure to Hong Kong, was
first detected by a flight attendant in an overhead luggage bin
in the rear left-hand side of the plane, an Air Busan
spokesperson told Reuters on Friday. 
    Authorities on Friday conducted a risk assessment of the
plane, which still had a large amount of fuel and oxygen
onboard. The burned-out jet remains on the tarmac at Gimhae
International Airport in the southern city of Busan.
    The transport ministry on Friday said the 35,900 lbs (16,280
kg) of jet fuel do not need to be offloaded, and other hazardous
materials such as oxygen tanks will be secured. The plane will
be covered by a canopy to protect it during the inspection,
which will begin on Monday. 
        Baggage in the cargo hold was removed on Friday, the
ministry said. 
  
    The incident came a month after the deadliest air disaster
on South Korean soil, when a Jeju Air  089590.KS  plane crashed
on Muan Airport's runway as it made an emergency belly landing,
killing all but two of the 181 people on board.
    Air Busan's single-aisle 17-year-old plane has burnt out
holes along the length of the fuselage roof. Its wings and
engines were not burned, a transport ministry statement said. 
    South Korea's Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation
Board is leading the investigation, and was joined on Thursday
by representatives of France's BEA air accident investigation
agency. France is the state of design for Airbus planes.
    Budget airline Air Busan is part of South Korea's Asiana
Airlines  020560.KS , which in December was acquired by Korean
Air  003490.KS .
    Air Busan shares closed down 3.2% on Friday after dropping
as much as 6.1%, following a four-day holiday break.

 (Reporting by Lisa Barrington, Jack Kim, Hyonhee Shin, Hyun
Young Yi, Jihoon Lee; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Gerry Doyle)
 ((lisa.barrington@thomsonreuters.com;))