South Korea wants to rebuild aviation safety system after crash, fire incidents

JejuAir Co

04/02/2025 03:03

SEOUL, Feb 4 (Reuters) - South Korea aims to rebuild its
aviation safety system from scratch, the transport ministry said
on Tuesday, launching a new committee to improve air travel in
the country that suffered two major aviation incidents a month
apart.
    "In order to restore trust in our country's aviation safety
system, the government will make a determined effort to rebuild
the aviation safety system from the ground up," Deputy Minister
of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Baek Won-kuk will tell the
committee, the ministry statement said.  
    The government must address aviation safety as a top
priority, he added.
    In the deadliest air disaster ever on South Korean soil, a
plane belonging to budget airline Jeju Air  089590.KS  crashed
at the country's Muan airport on Dec. 29, killing all but two of
the 181 passengers and crew members on board.
    Duck remains were found in both engines of the plane, a
preliminary investigation report said, indicating bird strikes
occurred before the crash. Air accidents are nearly always
caused by a combination of factors, according to experts.
    Last week, an Air Busan  298690.KS  plane was engulfed in
flames at Busan's international airport as the low-cost
carrier's jet prepared to depart, with all on board evacuated
safely.
    The fire was first detected by a flight attendant in an
overhead luggage bin in the rear of the plane, Air Busan has
said.
    Investigations into the causes of both incidents are
ongoing. 
    The 10-week committee will include private sector experts
and will look at issues including maintenance and aircraft
utilisation rates at budget airlines, and airport construction
and operation. 
    In response to the Jeju Air crash, which saw the plane belly
land but then plough into a concrete embankment supporting
navigation equipment past the end of Muan's runway, authorities
already said they would amend similar structures at seven
airports around the country. 

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Final minutes of Jeju Air flight before South Korea's deadliest
air disaster     urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N3OM008
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 (Reporting by Lisa Barrington; Editing by Jamie Freed)
 ((lisa.barrington@thomsonreuters.com;))