Transportation
South Korea to Change Airport Design After Deadly Jeju Air Crash
- Runway safety zones to be lengthened, rigid structures removed
- Jeju Air jet exploded after hitting localizer’s concrete wall
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South Korea will extend runway safety areas and redesign infrastructure after the crash of a Jeju Air Co. flight last month that killed almost everyone on board, sparking criticism that the design of the airport might have exacerbated the accident.
Runway end safety areas at nine airports will be lengthened to 240 meters (787 feet), or the structure holding the so-called localizer — an instrument used to guide landing plane — will be changed to an easily breakable material, Korea’s transport ministry said in a statement Wednesday. Incheon International Airport, the country’s biggest hub, and Gimpo International Airport aren’t included on the list.