Asiana Airlines bans some emergency seats after door-opening accident

SEOUL: South Korea’s Asiana Airlines has stopped selling some emergency seats following an accident in which a passenger opened an emergency exit mid-air, the carrier said Sunday (May 28).

The incident took place onboard a A321-200 plane, which was carrying nearly 200 passengers as it approached the runway at Daegu International Airport, about 240km southeast of Seoul.

The plane landed safely but several people were hospitalised. There were no serious injuries or damage.

Starting Sunday, the 31A and 26A emergency seats on its 14 A321-200 jets would no longer be offered for sale, the carrier told AFP.

“As a safety precaution, this measure will apply even if the flights are full,” it added.