Uniformed passengers to get priority seating next to exits

Social Affairs

Published: 13 Jul. 2023, 16:00 Updated: 13 Jul. 2023, 18:15

Uniformed passengers to get priority seating next to exits

The emergency exit of Asiana Flight 8124 is open while the plane while the plane is on the ground at Daegu International Airport on May 26. A 33-year-old passenger swung open the door just minutes before landing that day. [NEWS1]

Police officers, firefighters and military personnel will receive priority seated next to the emergency exit on certain flights to stop passengers from opening the door in midair.

The People Power Party (PPP) and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on Thursday agreed to implement the measure from the end of this month.

According to PPP Rep. Park Dae-chul, 236 of 335 planes owned by Korean airliners have a lock mechanism to prevent the door from being opened during flight.

The other 99 planes have emergency exits that passengers can open, albeit only when the plane is flying at a low altitude.

However, on 61 of those 99 planes, crew members already sit next to the emergency exits to quickly respond to emergencies.

The new policy will affect only the remaining 38 planes, on which 94 seats are next to an emergency exit.

Airlines will notify ticket buyers that passengers in uniform receive priority seating next to the emergency exit. Passengers who purchase those seats must verify who they are at the ticket counter.

“After the incidents, the government conducted a study on all 335 passenger planes owned by Korean airliners,” said Vice Transport Minister Baek Won-kug.

The minister was referring to a pair of recent mishaps involving passengers opening or attempting to open emergency exits in flight, including a flight from Jeju to Daegu in May when a passenger managed to open the door.

“Some 23 planes are the same model as the one involved in the accident [in May]. Although the airliners stopped sales of seats next to the emergency exit on all 23 planes, worries over safety continue.”

The vice minister said the lever for the emergency exit was located close to passengers in the planes in question.

This made it difficult for the crew or passengers to stop somebody from opening the door.

“The purpose of the emergency exit is for the flight crew to quickly and safely help passengers off the plane in case of an emergency,” said Park. “We expect practical measures to allow the exit to serve its function while preventing illegal attempts to open it.”

On May 26, a 33-year-old man seated at 31A of Asiana Flight 8124 from Jeju to Daegu broke open an exit just behind the wings when the plane was 700 feet (about 210 meters) above ground, just minutes from landing.

The door was open for eight minutes until the plane touched the tarmac.

The flight was carrying 194 passengers, including elementary and middle school students taking part in a youth sports competition in Daegu.

Nine passengers were rushed to nearby hospitals for minor injuries.

The man was arrested at the airport and faces up to 10 years in prison.

A month later, an 18-year-old on Jeju Air 7C2406 from Cebu, the Philippines to Incheon International Airport attempted to open the emergency exit midflight.

He tried to open the door at 29,000 feet (9,000 meters) above ground an hour after the plane took off, but passengers and crew members stopped him.

Some 180 passengers were on board. The man tested positive for drugs.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]