Tech

Korean Air has given flight attendants the green light to use tasers on unruly passengers

Read in app
Korean Air Airbus A380
Korean Air Airbus A380.  Flickr/John Murphy

Korean Air flight attendants will now have freer access to on-board Tasers.

On Tuesday, the Seoul-based airline "loosened" the usage policy for tasers located on board its aircraft, CNN reported.

"We have decided to improve our conditions and procedure on using Taser guns to cope with violent acts and disturbances on board in a fast and efficient manner," Korean Air wrote in a statement to Reuters.

However, it is unclear how the airline will implement the new procedure or when it will take effect.

Korean Air was not immediately available to comment.

The policy shift comes one week after Korean Air drew criticism for its handling of an unruly passenger on a flight from Hanoi, Vietnam to Seoul.

On December 20, 80's pop star Richard Marx stepped in to help the Korean Air cabin crew subdue a physically aggressive passenger. On Twitter, Marx criticized the crew of being "ill equipped to handle the situation." In an Instagram post, Marx's wife, former MTV VJ Daisy Fuentes, who was also on the flight, accused Korean Air flight attendants of not knowing how to use the on-board tasers and ropes.

According to Reuters, Korean Air stated that its cabin crew were hesitant to deploy its tasers because the equipment is only allowed to be used in situation where the lives of the passengers and crew are in danger or if the safety of the flight is under threat.

The policy is designed to give cabin crew more leeway in the decision to use tasers.

Read next

Benjamin was an Atlanta-based senior correspondent with Business Insider's Transportation Team, covering aviation and autos. Prior to joining Business Insider, he worked in corporate communications for a global airline, a luxury automotive brand, and a major PR agency. He is a graduate of Rutgers Law School and the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business. Top StoriesAmericans have been driving these Chinese-built cars for years — and Biden's tariffs likely won't impact themI drove Hyundai's rugged new $40,000 family SUV. It's packed with useful tech but rough around the edgesThese are the best airlines in the world, according to a survey of travelers — see the full listThe history of Virgin Atlantic: How a record executive took on the airline establishment and wonAirlines are scrambling to fix an unsustainable crisis created by too many cheap flights