BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese authorities have called for industry hazard assessments to uncover any “hidden” operational hazards from flight paths to runways, following the deadliest year in global commercial aviation since 2018.
Last year, 318 people died in commercial flight incidents around the world, according to data from the U.S.-headquartered Flight Safety Foundation's Aviation Safety Network. The last time there were more than 300 fatalities was in 2018.
On Friday, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said it had warned Chinese airlines of possible safety risks and adjusted flight routes.
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“China's Civil Aviation Administration has timely warned airlines about flight safety risks and adjusted route plans to ensure safe operation,” Shu Mingjiang, a CAAC official, said at a regular press conference.
On December 29, a Jeju Air plane flying from Thailand to South Korea made a belly landing and overshot the runway in Muan after a bird strike. The Boeing 737-800 plane exploded in flames after hitting an embankment, killing 179 people.
That was preceded by the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight near the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan after it was diverted from southern Russia, where Ukrainian drones were attacking several cities at the time. Azerbaijan's president said the plane was damaged by an accidental shooting from the ground in Russia.
Chinese airlines, including Air China and China Southern Airlines, have started avoiding airspace in that region, financial and research news outlet Caixin reported. Most Western airlines and many airlines in Asia have completely avoided Russian airspace since 2022 due to the war between Russia and Ukraine.
In addition, China's CAAC has ordered airports to take preventive measures against bird strikes and conduct a comprehensive survey of runway safety hazards.
Airports will “intensify activities to repel birds in and around airport facilities,” Shu said.
He also said airports are mandated to investigate “hidden hazards” to increase runway safety.
The CAAC had also launched a major aviation safety response in 2022 after a China Eastern Airlines plane crashed into the mountains of Guangxi, killing 132 people on board in mainland China's deadliest aviation disaster in 28 years.
Nearly three years after the accident, a final report detailing the cause has yet to be released. The CAAC did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the status of the report.
(Reporting by Sophie Yu and Ryan Woo; Editing by Jamie Freed)
