Devote all energy to secure summer peak season such as training of person engaged in aviation business, aircraft preventive maintenance, etc.
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (Minister Won Hee-Ryong) stated that it promotes diverse security control measures from June 13 as the air transport users are expected to be increased during the peak summer season by the recent promotion of the international flight normalization (June 08, 2022).
Number of International flight in our airlines has been reduced sharply compared to 2019 before COVID-19 outbreak but thanks to the recent increase of air transport demand, etc. it shows the gradual recovery trend*.
* 28,659 flights (April, 2019)→ 3,971 flights (April, 2020))→ 5,988 flights (April, 2021)→6,338 flights (April, 2022)
If the operation of international flight is reactivated, there was the opinion of experts that the thorough preparation for the safety is required, as △ return of the flight and cabin crews on leave and the adaptation to the long distance route, △airplane check and maintenance prepared for the operating ratio increase △ resumption of flight operation to overseas airport suspended etc. are expected.
Major contents of safety control measures are as follows.
Reinforcement of airline's advance preparation by the expansion of international flight operation
Prepare and provide the return crew training guideline (hereinafter 'Guideline') to the airlines so that the flight and cabin crews can adapt to the flight smoothly.
According to the guideline, the education and training processes, which has been switched to non-face-to-face method such as online, etc. in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, will be implemented totally to face-to-face education from July.
In case of the crew returned after the leave, the training requirement by the leave period (less than 1 month ~ 12 months or more) is classified into maximum 7 levels and one should complete the theory and practical education, flight simulation device training, on-the-job training, etc. matching with his/her own level and the flight crew whose leave period is elapsed more than 6 months, can make a flight as long as he/she passes the proficiency check by the flight qualification examiner appointed according to Aviation Safety Act.
In addition, for the crew fatigue management, the airline was recommended to organize the crew with 1-2 extra crews than usual and to refrain from so called quick-turn operation, which performs the short distance round trip section continuously, to guarantee enough
rest and the layover at local, etc. to get over jet lag.
In case of airplane that did not have been put into flight operation more than 30 days, the airplane was managed as temporary dormant state* according to the storage maintenance program of manufacturer but the airplane without problem after taking steps such as test run of the engine, major part operation check, replenishment of lubricant, etc. matching with the earnest increase of flight schedule, is going to be put into flight operation.
* Put cover on the exposed parts such as engine, etc, protective measures such as window, etc, cut-off of the power supply unit, etc
For the overseas airport that the flight operation is resumed, it should be checked by making airlines to send out full-time resident, furnish the spare parts, renew the contract with local maintenance and operation support company, and to submit the change management plan such as updating of emergency response manual, etc.
For the airport where the multiple airlines are servicing or the reservation ratio is high such as Philippines, Vietnam, etc. it will be selected separately (End of June, 2022) and the supervision at local should be performed directly by Government Aviation Safety Supervisor.
In addition, it has a plan to promote the method actively that when issuing the license for international flight operation, the airline having good safety performance will be authorized preferentially by monitoring monthly the level of major safety problem occurrence by airline and for the airline that causes the material safety problem or whose rate of safety problem occurrence is deteriorated, it will be granted with posterior order.
Perform the preventive airplane maintenance considering the characteristics of summer season
Summer season, the airplane is exposed to the environment that the airplane problem occur easily due to seasonal factor such as intense heat, typhoon, rainspell, etc. Particularly, airplane thermostat and weather radar whose use frequency is increased during the summer season, the engine and electronic system and various sensors sensitive to the humidity, etc. are corresponded to representative vulnerable factors.
MOLIT has a plan to analyze rigorously the airplane system and parts that show the trend of increasing defects from July to August and to take actions for each airline to perform general maintenance for relevant systems and parts before arriving the summer special transportation period.
In addition, it will reinforce greatly the field inspection that visits the maintenance site by airline without notice and verifies if the maintenance is performed faithfully.
Analyze safety trend by Airline and perform customized safe management
‘In the results of analyzing major safety problems occurred from January to April, 2022, it announced that Air Seoul, Fly Gangwon, Aero K, and Air Premia did not have even one case but t'way Air showed the excellent safety performance reducing the occurrence greatly compared with 4th quarter of 2021 (5 cases ⟶ 1 case).
On the contrary, in case of Korean Airline, it committed total 2 cases of runway incursion because the pilot understood incorrectly the control instruction and Air Incheon showed slightly unsatisfactory performance by occurring the case that the airplane returned home during the flight because the moisture discharge tube installed at pilot seat was damaged
MOLIT increased the number of safety supervision for June against relevant 2 airlines by 50% compared to other airlines and stated that it has a plan to perform intensive supervision for the relevant airline's recurrence prevention effort and if the safety hindrance factor is eliminated.
Kim Yong-Suk, director of Aviation Policy at MOLIT stated "As the door of the traveling by air that the citizens have waited for long time is opened widely, we will check the airplane safety management carefully in order to make the convenient and safety travel in return for your long waiting.
Please refer to the attached PDF.