[Photo: Jeju Air]
The airline industry is facing challenges due to soaring fuel prices, a consequence of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, leading to a wave of unpaid leave measures. Following T'way Air, Jeju Air, the largest low-cost carrier (LCC) in South Korea by passenger numbers, has announced it will accept applications for unpaid leave.
On May 8, Jeju Air stated it will accept unpaid leave applications from cabin crew members for one month. This decision is seen as a response to the reduction in flight operations due to high fuel costs.
Previously, Jeju Air announced a 4% cut in international flight operations for this month and next, attributed to the impact of rising fuel prices from the Middle East conflict. Other domestic airlines are also reducing their flight schedules. The airline industry is considering or implementing unpaid leave to address the issue of surplus staff resulting from these operational cuts. T'way Air is also accepting unpaid leave applications from cabin crew for May and June.
Coincidentally, Jeju Air reported strong first-quarter results on the same day. The airline recorded 498.2 billion won in revenue for the first quarter of this year. During this period, it also achieved an operating profit of 64.4 billion won, marking consecutive profits following the fourth quarter of last year. However, industry analysts predict that the impact of high fuel prices will significantly affect performance starting in the second quarter, suggesting that the airline industry is proactively implementing unpaid leave measures in anticipation of declining profitability.
A Jeju Air official explained, "The surplus staff is a result of the temporary reduction in flight operations due to high fuel prices. We plan to accept unpaid leave applications freely from those who wish to take time off for childcare, family care, or personal rest during the month of June."
On May 8, Jeju Air stated it will accept unpaid leave applications from cabin crew members for one month. This decision is seen as a response to the reduction in flight operations due to high fuel costs.
Previously, Jeju Air announced a 4% cut in international flight operations for this month and next, attributed to the impact of rising fuel prices from the Middle East conflict. Other domestic airlines are also reducing their flight schedules. The airline industry is considering or implementing unpaid leave to address the issue of surplus staff resulting from these operational cuts. T'way Air is also accepting unpaid leave applications from cabin crew for May and June.
Coincidentally, Jeju Air reported strong first-quarter results on the same day. The airline recorded 498.2 billion won in revenue for the first quarter of this year. During this period, it also achieved an operating profit of 64.4 billion won, marking consecutive profits following the fourth quarter of last year. However, industry analysts predict that the impact of high fuel prices will significantly affect performance starting in the second quarter, suggesting that the airline industry is proactively implementing unpaid leave measures in anticipation of declining profitability.
A Jeju Air official explained, "The surplus staff is a result of the temporary reduction in flight operations due to high fuel prices. We plan to accept unpaid leave applications freely from those who wish to take time off for childcare, family care, or personal rest during the month of June."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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