Korea Airports Corporation will begin emergency repair work on the facilities damaged by the ‘Jeju Air accident’ at Muan International Airport. It is provisionally estimated that replacing the lighting facilities among the various damaged facilities will cost about 660 million won. The repair plan for the 'localizer' (azimuth facility) has not yet been announced.
The timing for the reopening of Muan International Airport, which is currently temporarily closed, is unpredictable. It seems that it will take a considerable amount of time for all damaged facilities, including lighting facilities and the localizer, to be restored. There are discussions about reopening the airport by prohibiting nighttime operations and allowing limited operation during the day.
According to relevant ministries and Korea Airports Corporation on the 17th, the corporation plans to issue an emergency restoration contract for Muan Airport. On the 13th, the corporation posted a procurement plan titled 'Emergency Restoration Work for Muan Airport Aviation Lighting Facilities' on the National Comprehensive Electronic Procurement website. The content included 'emergency safety diagnosis and facility improvement for preventing emergencies and disasters.’ This plan is currently not available on the website.
A corporation official noted, “It was posted as an administrative procedure to inform contractors of the approximate procurement plan in advance,” adding, “After discussions, we plan to issue a formal bidding announcement in due course.”
The corporation is expected to soon conclude the on-site recovery phase, including the search operation at the accident site, and will commence full-scale facility restoration work. The damaged facilities that need restoration include the 'localizer' (azimuth facility) on the concrete embankment, identified as a major cause of this accident, as well as various lighting facilities. Among these, the corporation has decided to prioritize the replacement of lighting facilities that provide visibility for the safe operation of aircraft during takeoff and landing.
According to the procurement plan, the expenses for the recovery are estimated to be 658 million won. Considering the urgency of the matter, the restoration project at Muan Airport is expected to proceed in the form of a 'negotiated contract.' According to the Act on Contracts to Which the State is a Party, negotiated contracts can be adopted in cases of natural disasters, infectious disease prevention, and urgent events.
However, due to the need for budget approval, approval applications for maintenance and repairs, and permits from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, it is expected to take some time before actual contracts and restoration work are completed.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, which oversees Muan Airport, and the Busan Regional Aviation Administration are reportedly deliberating on the reopening schedule, comprehensively considering various factors. In principle, the restoration of the damaged facilities on the 'reverse direction' runway where the accident occurred must be completed. However, if it is judged that operations can proceed using other auxiliary equipment, there may be a possibility of partial reopening before restoration is completed.
A Korea Airports Corporation official stated, “Other auxiliary equipment is available, so it is not necessarily required to have the localizer and other instrument landing facilities, which were damaged this time, to land.” They also mentioned, “Since lights are not turned on during the day, there is a possibility of reopening under conditions of not operating at night.” They added, “This will ultimately be decided by the local aviation administration and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport considering all factors, including air traffic control.”
Currently, Muan International Airport has announced through its website that it will be closed until 5 a.m. on Jan. 19. The closure period has already been extended three times. Considering the timeline for the airport facility restoration work, which is still being outlined internally, it is widely believed that the closure period is likely to be extended further.
A corporation official said, “We will discuss with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport how much we should restore the facilities before reopening,” and added, “We will proceed with the restoration of not only the aviation lighting facilities included in the procurement plan but also other equipment such as the localizer as quickly as possible to normalize airport operations.”