Safety features confirmed at Songshan Airport following South Korea crash

Taipei, Dec. 30 (CNA) Taiwan's transport safety authority confirmed on Monday that Songshan Airport in Taipei has had safety installations, including Engineered Materials Arresting Systems (EMAS), since 2009, amid concerns following a fatal crash at a South Korean airport on Sunday.

Faced with questions over the relatively short runway at Songshan Airport, Lin Shinn-der (林信德), chairman of the Taiwan Transportation Safety Board (TTSB), said at a legislative hearing that the end of the runway at the airport had been fitted with Engineered Materials Arresting Systems (EMAS) -- crushable material designed to stop aircraft that overrun.

On Sunday, a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800 passenger plane crashed at Muan International Airport, before smashing into a barrier and bursting into flames. One hundred and seventy-nine of 181 on board were killed.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

Legislator Lee Kun-tse (李昆澤) of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party said at the hearing that the runway at Muan Airport is 2,800 meters long, while that at Songshan Airport is 2,600 m long. He highlighted that a TransAsia Airways plane nearly overran the runway in Taipei in 2004.

Lin said that the aim of EMAS is to prevent a plane that overruns and hits a barrier from being totally destroyed. He added that many airports in downtown areas of a city with shorter runways depend on it for safety reasons.

Lin said before EMAS was fully installed in 2009, only smaller planes were allowed to land at Songshan Airport. But now the airport is open to larger craft.

He noted that as well as EMAS, other special materials had been used to construct its enclosing wall. This would offer further protection in the event of a crash.

Following the Jeju Air crash, Lin said his agency would advise the Civil Aviation Administration to study what had happened. The TTSB will also work with America's National Transportation Safety Board to research safety features at airports that have experienced similar tragedies.

Lee said that because there may have been a landing gear issue ahead of the crash in South Korea, he was worried about the 10 Boeing 737-800 planes in the China Airlines fleet.

The TTSB said it suggests the carrier intensify efforts to carry out daily maintenance work and regular check-ups.

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