Muan Airport runway previously shortened, impact under scrutiny
It was confirmed that the government shortened the runway at Muan International Airport from 2,800 meters to 2,500 meters because the end safety area failed to meet regulatory standards during a runway extension project. The reduced portion of the runway was designated as an end safety area instead. Authorities plan to investigate how the shortened runway may have impacted the belly landing of Jeju Air flight 7C2216, which resulted in an explosion that claimed 179 lives, leaving only two survivors. According to an exclusive report by the Hankook Ilbo on Tuesday, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Busan Regional Office of Aviation — responsible for overseeing Muan International Airport — held a meeting in May to address the runway extension project. The discussion focused on the reduced end safety area caused by the construction. End safety areas serve as buffer zones beyond the runway's end points to mitigate risks if an aircraft overruns the runway during landing. The current end safety areas at Muan International Airport measure 199 meters at both the north and south ends of the runway involved in the tragic accident. The extension project aims to extend the northern section of the runway by 360 meters. However, construction plans made it impossible to use the existing end safety area, or the northern touchdown zone, as it would have disrupted airport operations. To resolve this, the transport ministry decided to shorten the runway by 300 meters and designate the freed-up section as the new end safety area. Starting last month, the northern end of the runway was moved 300 meters inward, with the outer section repurposed as an end safety area. A report titled "Results of Change Management in Air Traffic Control for Muan Airport Runway Extension" by the Busan Regional Office of Aviation detailed this decision. According to the report, the task force held deliberations for a month and concluded that adjustments to airport infrastructure standards would be managed by the relevant authority rather than the contractor.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2025-01-02/general/muan-airport-runway-previously-shortened-impact-under-scrutiny
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Muan Airport runway previously shortened, impact under scrutiny
It was confirmed that the government shortened the runway at Muan International Airport from 2,800 meters to 2,500 meters because the end safety area failed to meet regulatory standards during a runway extension project. The reduced portion of the runway was designated as an end safety area instead. Authorities plan to investigate how the shortened runway may have impacted the belly landing of Jeju Air flight 7C2216, which resulted in an explosion that claimed 179 lives, leaving only two survivors. According to an exclusive report by the Hankook Ilbo on Tuesday, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Busan Regional Office of Aviation — responsible for overseeing Muan International Airport — held a meeting in May to address the runway extension project. The discussion focused on the reduced end safety area caused by the construction. End safety areas serve as buffer zones beyond the runway's end points to mitigate risks if an aircraft overruns the runway during landing. The current end safety areas at Muan International Airport measure 199 meters at both the north and south ends of the runway involved in the tragic accident. The extension project aims to extend the northern section of the runway by 360 meters. However, construction plans made it impossible to use the existing end safety area, or the northern touchdown zone, as it would have disrupted airport operations. To resolve this, the transport ministry decided to shorten the runway by 300 meters and designate the freed-up section as the new end safety area. Starting last month, the northern end of the runway was moved 300 meters inward, with the outer section repurposed as an end safety area. A report titled "Results of Change Management in Air Traffic Control for Muan Airport Runway Extension" by the Busan Regional Office of Aviation detailed this decision. According to the report, the task force held deliberations for a month and concluded that adjustments to airport infrastructure standards would be managed by the relevant authority rather than the contractor.<br/>
