Bird strike warning raised days before Muan Airport disaster

[Anchor]

One of the causes identified in this passenger plane disaster is bird strikes.

However, just ten days before the disaster, it has been confirmed that a warning regarding bird strike issues was raised at a meeting attended by the operators of Muan Airport.

What was discussed during that meeting? Reporter Lee Seung-cheol has the story.

[Report]

On Dec. 19, a report was released detailing the meeting of the Muan Airport Bird Strike Prevention Committee.

Attendees included the Korea Airports Corporation, which operates Muan Airport, the South Airports Service which is responsible for bird strike prevention, and Jin Air, an airline operating at the airport.

Jeju Air, the airline involved in the recent accident, did not attend the meeting.

During the meeting, the airport corporation mentioned that there were a total of six bird strikes last year, an increase compared to the previous year.

They also presented figures showing that approximately 8,000 birds were captured or chased away last year to prevent interference with operations, which is actually a 14% decrease from a year earlier.

This indicates that the airport was sufficiently aware of the risks of bird strikes.

There are four bird colonies near Muan Airport, and some attendees pointed out that bird appearances frequently occur from the beach side during takeoff.

The recent accident also occurred after the aircraft had taken off.

South Airports Service, responsible for prevention efforts, stated that they are lacking in personnel and vehicles, and that there are limitations to how far the sound of the speakers used to scare away birds can reach, especially at distances like the beach.

[Attendee at the meeting/voice altered: "It seems that compared to airports with a high number of flights like Gimpo, Jeju, and Gimhae, there was indeed a shortage of personnel for bird removal."]

The airport corporation concluded the meeting by stating they would consider adding more speakers to vehicles based on the feedback from the field.

In response to KBS's inquiry about whether additional measures would be taken, the airport corporation has stated that they cannot confirm anything as an investigation is ongoing.

This is KBS News, Lee Seung-cheol.