Korean Air Boeing plane bound for Taiwan makes emergency landing after plummeting 7,600 metres

A Korean Air flight bound for Taiwan had to turn back and make an emergency landing after detecting a fault with the aircraft’s pressurisation system.

The Boeing 737 Max 8 plane departed from Incheon International Airport at 4:45pm local time on Saturday, Yonhap News Agency reported.

A pressurisation fault was detected while the plane was flying over South Korea’s southern Jeju Island, per Yonhap.

Roughly 30 minutes after taking off, the plane started descending sharply, dropping nearly, 7600 metres (25,000 feet) in five minutes, according to data from FlightRadar24.

Videos on social media show the cabin shaking and oxygen masks hanging from the ceiling.

Yonhap News Agency, citing information from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, reported that 15 passengers were hyperventilating and suffered from eardrum pain when the flight descended.

“We are fully cooperating with all relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident,” a Korean Air spokesperson told Business Insider.

The spokesperson said 17 passengers were evaluated at medical facilities and were discharged without severe injuries.

The spokesperson added that the aircraft is just under 5 years old and was delivered to Korean Air in July 2022.

“Our commitment to the safety and well-being of our passengers and crew remains unchanged. We apologise to all affected by this incident,” the spokesperson said.

Passengers on the affected plane reached Taichung International Airport safely on Sunday via a different flight, the Taipei Times reported.

The Korean Air news comes after a week in which multiple planes were forced to make emergency landings for various reasons.

On Thursday, a Malaysia Airlines plane was forced to turn around and head