T’way Air, a South Korean no-frills carrier favoured by Thai budget travellers, has been ordered by authorities in Seoul to fix its tardiness problem after flight delays stranded passengers on four flights in a week, one of them in Thailand.
The South Korean Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport on Friday told the airline to come up with better plans by next month to end delays, the Yonhap news agency reported.
The order came after four international flights were delayed, affecting hundreds of passengers. The timing was inauspicious for the airline as it has been preparing to introduce new European routes.
One of the delayed flights was TW184 from Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok to Cheongju on June 13. The plane to Cheongju, about 110 kilometres southeast of Seoul, is normally scheduled to depart at 12.05am and arrive at its destination at 8.05am.
On that day, the flight was 20 hours late, leaving Bangkok at 8.39pm and landing in Cheongju at 4.03am local time, according to FlightAware, a website tracking flights around the globe.
The airline attributed the delay at Don Mueang to a defective part in one of the plane’s engines, according to another report in Yonhap.
The flight delays led to a move by South Korean authorities to carry out an investigation.
T’way flies from the Thai capital to Incheon, Cheongju and Daegu. Its cheap ticket prices make it popular for budget travellers from Thailand who visit South Korea.