SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea's government said on Monday it would extend the closure of Muan International Airport for a week until January 14, citing the ongoing investigation into the crash of a Jeju Air plane that killed 179 people on board.
The airport was scheduled to reopen on Tuesday after the incident, which occurred on December 29.
A joint investigation team is intensifying its investigation into South Korea's deadliest air accident. Two Korean investigators are scheduled to leave Monday for the United States with the flight data recorders for analysis with the US National Transportation Safety Board.
The flight data recorders, along with the cockpit voice recorders, are the black boxes that contain key information about the accident.
Investigators on Saturday compiled the full transcript from the cockpit voice recorder recovered from the wreckage of the Jeju Air Boeing (NYSE:) 737-800. It is not clear whether they will reveal the text.
Investigators recovered two of the plane's engines over the weekend, with a representative from engine maker General Electric joining the investigation. The Ministry of Transport extended until January 10 inspections of all Boeing 737-800 aircraft operated by Jeju Air and five other airlines in the country, including their maintenance records.
