Following the deadly collapse of a Jeju Air planes in December, which skidded off the runway and caught fire after hitting for a structure, South Korea announced plans to improve the structures that house the antennas that link landings at its airports this year.
The country’s transport ministry, which has been inspecting safety conditions at airlines and airports since the Boeing 737-800 jet crashed at the southwestern Muan airport, announced the move to change the so-called “localiser” structures on Monday ( Jan 13 ).
Seven regional airports, including Muan, were found to possess gullies or foundations made of concrete or metal that needed to be changed, the department said in a statement.
It further stated that it planned to start working on the improvements by this quarter and that it wanted to complete them by the end of 2025. It did not give information of the planned changes.
Experts in aviation safety said the positioning of the slope at Muan Airport possible increased the number of fatalities in the accident, which resulted in the deaths of 179 of the 181 passengers.
The state has also completed its assessment of six regional airlines carrying Boeing 737-800s, and it has discovered violations at some operators, including exceeding the evaluation phase post- and post-flight and non-compliance with procedures to fix aircraft defects or passenger boarding.
Jeju Air was not among the airlines where breaches were discovered, according to the transportation department. A Jeju Air spokeswoman could not be reached for comment right away.
Between January 13 and January 21, according to a government speech, a special security inspection of the nation’s major airport facilities will also be conducted.
The ministry’s declaration included a declaration extending the government’s ban on Muan aircraft to January 19 as well.