In the wake of a devastating Jeju Air Co. crash last month that claimed the lives of 179 people, South Korea’s Ministry of Transport announced Wednesday it will implement significant safety improvements at nine airports across the country, Bloomberg reports.
The move comes after an initial investigation suggests that the airport infrastructure may have exacerbated the accident.
The most immediate change will involve extending runway end safety areas (RESAs) to a length of 787 feet at nine designated airports. Alternatively, if RESA extensions are not feasible, the concrete structures supporting the localizer, an instrument that guides landing aircraft, will be replaced with easily breakable materials. These changes aim to minimize damage and loss of life in similar incidents.
These actions stem from a comprehensive review conducted by the ministry at 15 airfields handling domestic and international flights, including Muan International Airport, the site of the December 29th tragedy. The Jeju Air flight, carrying 181 passengers and crew, skidded off the runway and exploded after striking a concrete localizer support structure shortly after control tower warnings of bird strikes.
The disaster, considered the nation’s worst air disaster, has prompted scrutiny of the airport’s design and infrastructure. A key area of focus for investigators is why the localizer structure at Muan was made of concrete rather than a more fragile material, as is common practice in countries such as the US and Canada.
Transport Minister Sangwoo Park has openly stated that placing a rigid concrete structure so near to the runway was a mistake, regardless of its compliance with local regulations.
In addition to the RESA improvements, the ministry plans to install Engineered Material Arresting Systems (EMAS) – crushable material that can help stop aircraft – at airports where runway extensions are not possible. This will be implemented in addition to the previously identified 15 airports and extended to seven new airports currently under construction, including the second Jeju International Airport.
