Passenger plane returns after door fails to close properly

A flight with 163 passengers had to turn back just 40 minutes into its journey when it was discovered that one of the aircraft’s doors had not fully closed.

The flight, operated by Jin Air, a budget carrier under Korean Air, had departed from Cebu in the Philippines, heading toward Busan, South Korea, on Sunday.

A spokesperson for Jin Air confirmed the incident to Dinogo, explaining that a noise alerted crew members to a gap in the door, which led the pilot to decide to return to Cebu.

At the time of the issue, the Boeing 737-800 was cruising at 10,000 feet above sea level.

A Jin Air representative confirmed that an announcement was made on the flight to inform passengers about the situation.

While no injuries were reported, local South Korean news outlets mentioned that some passengers reported feeling nauseous during the flight’s return journey.

Jin Air provided accommodations for passengers in a nearby hotel, and the flight resumed its journey to Busan 15 hours later.

A spokesperson from South Korea's Transport Ministry told Dinogo that an investigation into the cause of the incident is underway. Additionally, the ministry plans to conduct safety inspections of six low-cost carriers, including Jin Air, Air Busan, Jeju Air, Easter Jet, T'way Air, and Air Incheon, this month.