South Korea plane crash: Budget airlines asked to hire more staff amid tightened safety standards

South Korean authorities are ordering budget airlines to reduce flight hours and hire more maintenance staff. It comes amid tightened safety standards after the December 29 Jeju Air crash that killed 179 of the 181 people onboard.

In a meeting on January 23, the Transport Ministry pushed the top executives of nine budget carriers in the country to improve safety measures. “No company can survive if it focuses on cost-cutting,” it added in a statement after the meeting.

South Korean authorities are going to monitor flight hours, the size of maintenance staff and procedures. Carriers not abiding by the safety regulations could have their flight operation permits suspended, the ministry noted.