South Korea, Japan set to back air traffic deal after near misses

South Korea and Japan are setting aside historical grievances to redraw responsibilities for air traffic control over the East China Sea following recent near misses. Responsibility in the “AKARA corridor” through South Korean airspace is currently split, with South Korean controllers shepherding north-south flights, and Japan’s directing east-west flights, many of them in and out of Shanghai. But South Korean and Japanese air traffic controllers operate on different radio frequencies, making communications more difficult for pilots who may be dealing with emergency in-flight situations, or needing to change altitude to avoid turbulence or bad weather. An agreement in principle has been reached for South Korea to take over Japan’s role, the UN aviation agency said on Wednesday night, confirming a Reuters story published earlier in the day. China was included in the agreement, as its air traffic controllers currently hand over to Japanese controllers in the corridor, and will in future hand over to South Korean controllers. “The proposal we have put forward has been accepted by the three states,” ICAO Council President Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu said. “The glory actually goes to the states who were able to work together to find a solution.” Aliu said he expects the agreement to be formalized in January or February 2020 and would take effect in April. Airline trade group International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in a statement that it knows the deal “will have a positive impact on safety and efficiency.”<br/>