Jeju Air Co., South Korea's largest budget carrier, will initially cut nearly 1,880 flights in the first quarter, it said Wednesday, a move aimed at enhancing its operational safety following the recent crash of its Boeing 737-800 flight that left 179 people dead.

South Korea’s leading low-cost carrier, heavy with debt and its stock already near record lows, is now facing intense public and government scrutiny.

Jeju Air and the South Korean airline industry continue to feel the impacts of accidents beyond a reduced flight schedule. The airline currently has 260 billion won ($177 million) in deferred revenue from passengers who have booked their tickets but have not yet flown.

Domestic flight reductions could begin as early as next week, while international cuts are expected to start in the third week of January.

While specific routes were not disclosed, the airline plans to minimize passenger inconvenience by concentrating reductions on international routes with more than two daily flights. Jeju Air’s key routes include destinations such as Tokyo,

As investigators look into what caused Jeju Air Flight 7C2216 to crash, the airline has come under intense government and public scrutiny for how it operates. Some of its operational practices are being challenged, including how it flew its planes more frequently than competitors and how it outsourced its maintenance overseas.

Joo Jong-wan, the deputy transport minister for civil aviation, acknowledged that safety measures were not sufficient when building the embankment, but said they were done in line

South Korea plans to review the concrete walls positioned just beyond the end of some airport runways after an aircraft attempting an emergency landing smashed into one just over a week ago, killing almost everyone on board.

After overcoming pariah status at the end of the last century, South Korea must learn what caused the catastrophe on Dec. 29 and what lessons to draw from it.