Non-regular international flights..."Is Ulsan Airport okay?"

[Anchor]
The Jeju Air flight accident occurred 21 days after regular international flights between Muan, South Jeolla Province, and Bangkok, Thailand.

Concerns over the safety of Ulsan Airport are also growing as it has been pointed out that concrete structures installed at Muan Airport have increased damage following a tidal current collision, which is believed to be one of the causes of the accident.

This is a report from reporter Koo Hyun-hee of JCN Ulsan Central Broadcasting.

[Reporter]
Ulsan Airport, which has more than 400,000 passengers a year, operates four domestic flights a day by Jin Air and six domestic flights a day by Korean Air.

On top of that, international flights will be launched on a 'temporary' basis in the new year.

Ulsan plans to operate four international flights with one of its sister cities in Japan or China during the industrial festival in October 2025, and expand the flights until the 2028 International Garden Expo.

However, due to the Jeju Air flight disaster, there are voices calling for a proper inspection to ensure that Ulsan Airport's international flights have no safety problems.

Ulsan Airport, where rooks often appear, has experienced 13 bird crashes in the past five years, which are believed to be one of the causes of the disaster.

The incidence of bird collisions is the fourth highest among airports in the country, plus Ulsan Airport's runway length is 2,000 meters, the shortest among domestic airports.

For this reason, only small and medium-sized passengers with less than 180 seats can operate, but Jin Air flights to and from Ulsan Airport are the same model as Jeju Air planes that had an accident this time.

As a result, Ulsan City is concerned that there are limited types of airliners that can be selected when operating international flights.

[Ulsan city official: The size of the aircraft is limited. Now all the planes have operated numerous times with Korean Air or Jin Air, and shouldn't they operate irregular flights while maintaining (that part)?.]

The longitudinal safety zone of Ulsan Airport's runway is also 200 meters, which meets the "at least 90 meters" standard, but it is shorter than Incheon and Jeju airports and similar to Muan Airport, where the accident occurred this time.

However, it has been confirmed that Ulsan Airport does not have a concrete structure higher than the runway, which is being criticized for increasing the damage of the accident.

[Korea Airports Corporation official: Ulsan Airport itself does not have (Dundeok) at the end of the runway. It's flat. It is the same height as the localizer installed, so there is no such thing as a mound.]

However, the lack of refueling facilities and thermal bird detectors essential for international flight operations is a source of anxiety.

Ulsan City said it will actively propose to the government to reinforce safety facilities so that there is no problem with international flights, although it is a temporary route, not a regular route.

I'm Hyunhee from JCN News.

a photographer for
; Park Kyung-rin

Design;Kim Sun-young