Eastar Jet flight attendants under investigation for taking photos on aircraft wing

South Korean low-cost carrier Eastar Jet Co. announced last week that it is investigating an incident in which several flight attendants exited onto the wing of a parked aircraft and took personal photos after opening the overwing emergency exit door on Feb. 12.

The incident occurred at Cheongju International Airport in North Chungcheong Province, about 111 km south of Seoul, Yonhap reported.

Flight 703, originally scheduled to depart from Cheongju to Jeju Island at 10:20 a.m., was delayed for over an hour due to heavy snowfall. During the delay, the Eastar Jet crew conducted an unofficial emergency evacuation training session. However, during this exercise, flight attendants were seen standing on the aircraft wing to take photos, The Korea Times reported.

Eastar Jet explained that the training aimed to familiarize flight attendants with the operation of the emergency exit located above the wing. However, the airline acknowledged that the session was "unofficial" and admitted that taking photos on the wing was "inappropriate," The Independent cited in an exclusive report from South Korean television network JTBC.

Cheongju Airport serves both commercial flights and military operations, where aviation security regulations are strictly enforced. The Korea Airports Corporation (KAC), which manages the airport, stated that it had not been informed in advance about the training session.

According to regulations, all photography activities in the aircraft parking area must be pre-registered and approved. Unauthorized photography by flight attendants on the aircraft wing may violate aviation security and operational safety regulations at the military airport.

Once the incident was discovered, KAC issued a formal warning to Eastar Jet and requested that the military unit overseeing Cheongju Airport review the matter and take appropriate action against the involved crew members.

Amid public and regulatory backlash, an Eastar Jet official told The Korea Herald: "An investigation into the employees involved is currently underway, and appropriate action will be taken based on the findings."

The official also promised to "reinforce strict training regulations" across all departments to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

The incident comes at a time when the low-cost carrier industry in South Korea is facing increased scrutiny over safety compliance. This follows a fatal Jeju Air crash in December, the worst aviation disaster on South Korean soil, and a major fire incident on an Air Busan aircraft last month.

In response to rising concerns, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport announced a plan last month to strengthen its monitoring of low-cost carriers (LCCs) and enforce strict penalties on airlines that fail to meet upgraded operational safety standards.