Birds Korea NGO calls for reassessment of Korea's new airport proposals, expansions

Bird strikes are a serious threat to aircraft at many of Korea's airports, and the problem is likely to worsen in the coming years with the introduction of more regional airports around the country, according to a nongovernmental organization (NGO) related to the study of birds. Nial Moores, national director of Birds Korea, sent out the warning on Jan. 6, following the disastrous Jeju Air crash at Muan International Airport in South Jeolla Province, Dec. 29. "There ... needs to be an honest reassessment of the suitability of the location of existing and of proposed airports — especially as it relates to the bird strike risk at each airport," Moores said in a blog post on birdskoreablog.org. "This is an urgent imperative because of the high number of new airports that are being proposed, almost all in bird-important areas near the coast." A bird strike, possibly with a flock of birds, is currently believed to be one of the causes of the recent crash. Moores mentioned that the runway there is currently being extended despite the airport's presence next to wetlands, which support around 40,000 waterbirds each winter.<br/>