Tragedy in the Skies: Jeju Air Flight 7C2216's Catastrophe

The crash of Jeju Air flight 7C2216 is the deadliest aviation incident on South Korean soil, marking Jeju Air's first fatal accident since its founding in 2005. It surpasses past South Korean major aviation tragedies, including the 2002 Air China crash in Busan and the 1997 Korean Air disaster in Guam.

The tragic crash of Jeju Air flight 7C2216 on Sunday is now the deadliest aviation incident recorded on South Korean soil. This disaster marks the first fatal accident for Jeju Air, the country's largest budget airline founded in 2005. The crash eclipses past events involving South Korean airlines, harking back to the 1997 Korean Air crash in Guam that claimed over 200 lives.

Jeju Air is South Korea's third-largest airline, trailing only Korean Air Lines and Asiana Airlines in terms of passenger numbers. The Boeing 737-800 mishap at Muan International Airport is a grim milestone for the airline industry in the region. South Korea's previous most deadly crash occurred in 2002 when a Boeing 767-200 from Air China crashed into a hill near Busan, resulting in 129 deaths.

Significant crashes involving South Korean airlines include the 1983 Soviet downing of Korean Airlines Flight 007, killing 269, and the 1993 Asiana Airlines 737-500 crash at Mokpo airport in poor weather, leading to over 60 fatalities. The 2013 crash of Asiana Airlines flight 214 in San Francisco further highlighted the dangers of modern aviation.

(With inputs from agencies.)