Lee Hae-rin is a City Desk reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues, tourism and taekwondo. She is passionate about speaking up for the rights of minorities, including women, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities and animals as well as discovering the latest makgeolli trend in town. Feel free to reach her at lhr@koreatimes.co.kr.
Korea to ground airlines with fatal accident records
An aircraft lands after flight training at Muan International Airport Feb. 24, 56 days after the deadly Jeju Air crash that claimed 179 lives. Yonhap
By Lee Hae-rin
Gov't orders removal of concrete mounds housing localizers at airports
The government said Wednesday that it will restrict air traffic rights for one year for airlines with a record of fatal accidents and remove concrete mounds housing localizers at airports as part of new measures to prevent another deadly aviation disaster.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport unveiled a comprehensive set of aviation safety overhaul measures following the deadly Jeju Air crash that claimed 179 lives at Muan International Airport on Dec. 29, 2024.
The measures followed months of deliberations with aviation safety experts and industry stakeholders that began in February.
The ministry also plans to eliminate all airport infrastructure that could pose a risk to aircraft during takeoff and landing.
Localizers, a kind of radio system at airports that guides planes to align with the runway for landing, will be replaced at seven regional airports with lightweight steel structures that can collapse more easily in the event of a collision. Six airports, including Muan International Airport, will remove concrete mounds housing the localizers.
Also, seven airports, including Muan and Gimhae, will extend their runway end safety areas to 240 meters to meet international standards. At Ulsan, Pohang-Gyeongju and Sacheon airports, where such extensions are not feasible, an Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS) will be installed by 2027 to quickly stop an aircraft that has exceeded the runway length.
EMAS is a safety feature at the end of runways, consisting of crushable materials designed to quickly stop an aircraft overrun, much like a giant "catcher's mitt" for planes.
Police, the National Forensic Service and the Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board under the transport ministry conduct an on-site investigation of a concrete mound housing a localizer at Muan International Airport, accompanied by bereaved family members, Feb. 26. Yonhap
The ministry will also take steps to prevent bird strikes. Investigators reported finding bird feathers in the engines of the crashed Jeju Air jet.
A bird detection radar system will undergo test runs at Muan International Airport during the second half of this year, with plans to subsequently deploy it at all the nation’s major airports, including Incheon, Gimpo and Jeju.
Drones designed to block birds' access to aircraft will be deployed at eight airports across the country. The drones are equipped with AI-powered bird analysis and detection technologies.
The number of personnel dedicated to preventing bird strikes will increase from two to four, with Muan Airport planning to eventually assign 12 staff members for this purpose.
The ministry also submitted an additional budget proposal of approximately 250 billion won ($175 million) to the National Assembly to enhance airport facilities and prevent bird strikes.
Notably, the ministry plans to restrict air traffic rights for airlines responsible for major accidents by revising allocation regulations in September.
Air traffic rights, also known as airline operating rights, are granted under bilateral and multilateral agreements between countries, allowing carriers to fly over their territory while transporting passengers and cargo.
Airlines that have caused fatal accidents will be excluded from the distribution of air traffic rights for one year from the date of the accident. They will be able to apply again only after a safety evaluation, one year later.
The ministry will review Jeju Air’s distribution of traffic rights based on the ex post facto principle, meaning that a law cannot retroactively criminalize an action that was legal at the time it was carried out.
A bereaved family member mourns at a memorial altar for victims of the deadly plane crash at Muan International Airport on April 5, 100 days after the Jeju Air tragedy. Yonhap
However, the ministry's measures did not include plans to establish an independent aviation safety watchdog, as suggested by experts.
"The ministry will focus on recruiting aviation safety personnel and training to strengthen expertise in the short term, while also comprehensively discussing the pros and cons of organizational reform," Joo Jong-wan, head of the aviation policy division at the ministry, said in response.