Airline faces 3-week govt investigation

Asiana will be subject of a three-week government investigation, a South Korean official said on Monday.

The Transport Ministry also ordered all South Korean airlines to step up safety measures and provide additional training for their pilots and crew.

"South Korean airlines are required to strengthen safety measures in all areas, from flight operation, maintenance and their operation manuals to facilities," Vice-Minister of Transportation Yeo Hyung-koo said in a statement.

The order came on Monday at talks between transportation ministry officials and executives from the country's eight carriers.

The probe into Asiana will investigate whether it violated any rules in its operation and training, the ministry said.

Four pilots from the Boeing 777 that crashed on July 6 will be questioned from Wednesday. The pilots returned home on Saturday after being quizzed by US aviation officials.

Also on Monday, Asiana announced it will sue a San Francisco TV station that it said damaged the airline's reputation by using bogus and racially offensive names for four pilots on a plane.

An anchor for KTVU-TV read the names on the air on Friday and then apologized after a break. The report was accompanied by a graphic with the phony names listed alongside a photo of the burned-out plane.

AP - AFP

(China Daily 07/16/2013 page10)