Asiana Airlines Inc – South Korea’s second-largest carrier – said it had stopped selling seats on planes located at emergency exits. The airline came to this decision after one of the passengers opened the door of the aircraft during the flight, reports Yonhap.
On May 28, Asiana Airlines decided to suspend the sale of 26A seats on 11 A321-200s and 31A seats on three A321-200s.
Seats near emergency doors on A321-200 aircraft will not be available for booking even if all seats on board are fully booked, the statement said. The specific duration of the ban is not specified.
Asiana Air Seoul Inc., a low-cost carrier division, also decided to suspend the sale of tickets for such places. Seats 22A and 27A on the A321-200 are no longer available for purchase.
Other low-cost carriers such as Asiana Air Busan, Air Premia, and Korean Air said they are also considering ending the sale of emergency exit seats.
Recall that the passenger of the A321-200, a certain Li, opened the doors during landing. The board at that time was 213 meters from the ground. As a result, 12 passengers developed breathing problems due to panic, and nine required medical attention.
On May 28, a court issued an arrest warrant for Lee for violating the aviation security law. A man can face up to 10 years in prison.
During the interrogation, Lee said that he was under great stress due to the loss of his job and opened the doors, as he wanted to quickly get out of the stuffy salon into the fresh air.