South Korea Requires Bird Detection Cameras After Deadly Plane Crash

After a devastating plane crash in December 2024 that killed 179 passengers involving a Jeju Air Boeing 737-800, South Korea has announced that all South Korean airports will install bird detection cameras and thermal imaging radar after feathers and bloodstains were found on the plane’s engines.

To prevent similar accidents from occurring, South Korea will require all airports to install the new imaging technology by 2026. Only four airports in the country are equipped with thermal imaging. It is unclear if any airports in South Korea have bird detection tech.

Once installed, the new tech will help detect the size and movement of birds from a distance, letting air traffic controllers act more swiftly to mitigate the risk of a bird strike.

Bird Detection Cameras Required At All South Korea Airports After Deadly Plane Crash

On top of all that, airports will be mandated to relocate hot zones that attract birds, like dumpsters, far away from airports to further reduce the number of birds that would even be near the airport to begin with.

The December crash was the deadliest in South Korea’s history. The flight was en route from Bangkok to Maun International Airport. The pilots were warned of bird activity near the airport. While the bird strike sparked the emergency, the pilot’s attempt at an emergency landing resulted in the plane crashing into a concrete structure at the end of the runway.

Investigators revealed that the plane’s black box data stopped recording minutes before the crash.