South Korea's Transport Ministry said Thursday that it would require all airports in the country to deploy thermal imaging cameras and bird detection radar systems in the wake of December's deadly Jeju Air plane crash at Muan International Airport. File Photo by Yonhap/EPA-EFE
SEOUL, Feb. 6 (UPI) -- South Korean authorities said Thursday that all airports in the country would be required to deploy thermal imaging cameras and bird detection radar systems in the wake of the Jeju Air crash that left 179 people dead.
The Ministry of Land, Transport and Infrastructure released an aviation safety report as part of an ongoing investigation into the worst-ever airline disaster on Korean soil. A Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 was nearing the end of a flight from Thailand on Dec. 29 when it hit the tarmac of Muan International Airport at high speed and skidded on its belly before slamming into an embankment and exploding into flames.
The incident occurred after the pilot reported a bird strike during the plane's approach to the runway. A preliminary report issued last week by South Korea's Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board confirmed that blood and bird feathers were found in each of the plane's two engines.
"Regarding on-site equipment, we plan to distribute at least one thermal imaging camera to all airports," the Transport Ministry said in its report, adding it would gradually introduce vehicle-based sonic generators to scare away medium- and large-sized birds.
Only four of the country's 15 airports -- Incheon and Gimpo in the Seoul area, Gimhae in Busan and Jeju on the resort island south of the mainland -- currently have thermal imaging cameras, the ministry said.
To enhance detection capabilities, the government will also introduce bird detection radar systems at all airports. The radar will spot flocks of birds located at a distance from the airport and enable the control tower to issue early warnings to aircraft in the vicinity.
The ministry added that it would "prepare a legal basis" for the relocation of facilities that attract birds, such as pig farms, orchards and food-waste treatment plants, away from airports.
A safety audit of all 11 domestic airlines last month found four cases of rule violations, the ministry report said. Two cases involved failure to comply with engine maintenance procedures and two involved missing maintenance records.
U.S. and South Korean teams are continuing to investigate the cause of the crash. Last month the Transport Ministry revealed that both of the plane's black boxes -- the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder -- stopped recording about four minutes before the disaster.
South Korea experienced another alarming airline incident last week when an Air Busan passenger plane caught fire while awaiting takeoff at Busan's Gimhae International Airport, forcing the evacuation of all 169 passengers and seven crew members using inflatable slides.
A government investigation was launched this week, but eyewitness accounts suggested that the fire may have been caused by a power bank stowed in an overhead bin.
Lithium-ion batteries in devices such as power banks, cell phones, laptops and e-cigarettes are an increasing concern for aviation officials. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration recorded 78 lithium battery air incidents involving smoke, fire, or extreme heat in 2024 -- more than twice as many as in 2016.
On Wednesday, Air Busan announced it would ban passengers from storing power banks and spare lithium batteries in overhead bins as a safety precaution.
