The Jeju Air flight 2216, which crashed in the catastrophic tragedy, completed its pre-departure maintenance in just 28 minutes, the official minimum time mandated for B737 aircraft by the Korean government.

The tight maintenance schedule has raised concerns over whether the low-cost carrier (LCC) prioritized operational efficiency over safety, as the plane underwent an intense itinerary the day before the accident, connecting four international cities without significant downtime.

The ill-fated aircraft operated flights between Muan and Kota Kinabalu, Nagasaki, Taipei and Bangkok, executing a total of eight departures within a single day, multiple sources said Monday. According to industry standards, planes require time for maintenance, cleaning and refueling between flights.

However, on Nov. 27, the flight spent just 62 minutes on the ground at Muan International Airport before departing for Kota Kinabalu, suggesting that only 28 to 30 minutes were allocated for maintenance.