Korean air carriers opt for Airbus planes amid Boeing’s safety concerns

By Lee Min-hyung

The nation’s major airlines are showing growing preference for Airbus planes amid inadequate quality control of scandal-tainted Boeing whose defective airplanes escalate safety woes across the industry, according to company officials, Tuesday.

Boeing has rapidly lost its once-robust corporate reputation after its Boeing 737 MAX — operated by Alaska Airlines — lost a door-plug panel during a flight in January, as no bolts had been installed on it.

In April, a Boeing 767 aircraft of Delta Air Lines also made an emergency landing at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York after its exit slide fell off in midair.

A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737-800 also returned to Denver International Airport last month after its engine cover fell off during takeoff.

Given that any airline can take a serious hit in revenue and reputation in case of such a malfunction, planes from Airbus are increasingly being preferred by Korean aviation players, according to officials from major airlines here.

“Boeing’s sequential involvement in safety scandals pushes more airlines to opt for Airbus jets,” an official from an airline here said. “The safety concerns are escalating day after day, so it is natural for any airlines to display more preference for jets not manufactured by Boeing.”

In March, Korean Air, the nation’s flag carrier, clinched a contract with Airbus to procure 33 state-of-the-art A350 family of aircraft with an investment of $13.7 billion (18.61 trillion won).

Asiana Airlines also operates 69 passenger planes, but only 10 out of them are from Boeing.

T’way Air is also scheduled to borrow Airbus A330-200 aircraft from Korean Air for its new routes to Europe.

“After Boeing was mired in a series of scandals for its defective aircraft, airlines’ preference for Airbus is on the rapid rise,” the official said. “As far as I know, overseas airlines react more sensitively to the issue than their Korean counterparts.”

Southwest Airlines, a U.S. air carrier, said it will not include the Boeing MAX 7 aircraft in its fleet this year.

Another official from a low-cost carrier here said the preference for Airbus is expected to remain in place until safety concerns are cleared.

“The involvement in any kind of safety controversy is the worst-case scenario from the perspective of the airlines,” the official said. “Even if multiple factors are taken into consideration when introducing new planes — such as delivery timeline — few airlines are willing to sign a contract to introduce ones that have been linked to defect scandals.”

Boeing ended up delivering only 83 airplanes in the first quarter of this year, down 47 percent from 157 in the previous quarter, amid unceasing safety concerns.