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New aviation safety regulations take effect

Published: 30 Dec. 2025, 20:10

Airplanes are seen at a landing strip at Incheon International Airport on Dec. 18, 2018, in this file photo unrelated to the story. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Airlines that cause a fatal accident will be barred from launching new routes for one year, according to new aviation safety regulations that took effect on Tuesday.

The revised rules regarding route allocation and aviation business operations are related to the aviation safety innovation plans unveiled in April.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on Tuesday that it will begin fully enforcing the revised regulations.

These measures were first announced four months after a fatal Jeju Air crash took place on Dec. 29 last year.

Under the revised rules, an airline responsible for a fatality will be excluded from receiving new route rights for one year. If a serious incident — such as a near miss with another aircraft — occurs during that period, the suspension may last longer.

To launch a new route, airlines must apply for the rights to that route. The new regulation blocks that process for “one year plus more,” effectively suspending applications for at least a year.

Additionally, the weight given to “safety and security” portion of the application has been increased from 35 to 40 points, and new criteria —such as a metric for the number of maintenance personnel per aircraft and efforts to manage turbulence — will be reflected in evaluations.

People are seen running from smoke during an aviation disaster exercise held jointly with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and domestic airlines at Incheon International Airport on May 17, 2018. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Financial soundness will now also be taken into account, as poor finances may hamper safety-related investment.

Procedures for approving new and charter routes will become stricter. Previously, safety reviews were conducted just before actual operations began. Now, they must be done at the earlier approval stage.

Seasonal route changes, such as for the summer or winter schedule, will also undergo a more holistic review. Rather than evaluating route changes individually, the ministry will assess whether each airline has enough staff to operate its full seasonal schedule.

“The revision will compel airlines to take greater care in ensuring flight safety,” said Joo Jong-wan, the director general for aviation policy at the Transport Ministry. “We expect this will significantly strengthen the airlines’ safety capabilities.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM JUN-YOUNG [[email protected]]