Recurring aviation disasters
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The airplane disaster at South Korea's Muan International Airport on Sunday, in which 179 people were burned to death, shocked the world. A Jeju Air flight carrying 181 passengers caught fire during landing after a bird strike and a landing gear malfunction. This is the worst aviation disaster South Korea has witnessed since the 1997 crash that claimed 228 lives. Preliminary findings suggest that confusion caused by the bird strike rendered the landing gear inoperative, leading to the accident. This devastating air disaster occurred amid South Korea's severe administrative and political crisis. Following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol, Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo also had to step down after being impeached. Although the country remains under the leadership of an interim president, intense political uncertainty persists. Two crucial black boxes, with the flight details and voice recorder, have been found in the airplane disaster investigation. However, going by past experience, it is expected that a prolonged investigation lasting years will be required to determine the precise and detailed causes of aviation disasters.
On December 25, an Azeri plane (AZAL) traveling from Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, to Grozny in Chechnya crashed near Aktau airport in Kazakhstan, killing 38 people. It was before the shock from this tragedy could subside that the disaster occurred in South Korea. The controversy surrounding Russia's involvement in the incident, amid the Ukraine war, had not yet been resolved. Eventually, it was revealed that Russia had deployed anti-aircraft missiles in the Chechen airspace to thwart a suspected Ukrainian attack, and following the crash in Russian airspace, President Putin apologized to the Azari president, uncovering the causes of the accident.
On the whole, the events unfolding raise concerns about whether December has become a period of air disasters. On December 22, in Brazil, industrial magnate Luiz Claudio Galici's plane, carrying his ten-member family, crashed, and all passengers were killed. In Argentina, Hawaii, and Papua New Guinea also planes crashed, resulting in the deaths of pilots and crew members, all in the same month. With six disasters claiming 236 lives, fears surrounding air travel have naturally increased. Most of these accidents, which have claimed so many lives in a single month, occurred during landing. The combination of adverse weather conditions, such as fog, technical issues like bird strikes, and suspected external interference in the Azerbaijan plane disaster has made the safety issue even more complex. There are numerous allegations against aircraft manufactures, ranging from negligence in aircraft maintenance to failure to comply with safety standards. The day after this disaster, another aricraft of the same aircraft company had to return after taking off due to a malfunction in the landing gear. The company in question, Boeing involved in the accident has been mired in controversy for a long time due to labor strikes and inadequacies in production and training. It is also noteworthy that disputes related to this have emerged in the context of this disaster also.
Recently, with air travel becoming much more comfortable it has led to a massive increase in the number of passengers. Going by road accident statistics, air travel is often cited as having fewer accidents. Since disasters cause more widespread damage and after-effects, air transport has become safer due to heightened vigilance and attention. Therefore, airspace must be completely free from accidents. International protocols must be adhered to to prevent passenger planes from being used as tools in conflicts between countries or in military actions, as in the case of the AZAL plane disaster. The efforts to study and address the causes of disasters are what enhance the safety of air travel and increase the number of air travelers. Therefore, airlines and governments are obliged to ensure safety leaving no loopholes. Thus, all stakeholders in air transport and the aviation industry must work together to prevent recurring aviation disasters, with the seriousness it deserves.
