On Sunday, December 29, 2024, Jeju Air Flight 2216 took off from Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, just before 2:30 a.m. local time. The Boeing 737-800 plane was carrying 175 passengers and 6 crew members as it made its way to Muan International Airport in the southwest of South Korea. Moments after contacting the air control tower to prepare for landing, the tower cautioned the pilot to be aware of bird activity around the runway. At 8:59 a.m. local time, two minutes after the initial warning, the pilot reported that the plane had struck a bird, declaring a mayday emergency landing request from the opposite direction.

The plane’s landing gear failed to deploy as it belly-landed on the runway. Out of control, the plane overran the runway, crashing into the concrete wall of a structure housing navigational equipment. Upon striking the structure, the airplane exploded, claiming the lives of 179 individuals onboard. The only survivors of the incident were two flight attendants seated at the rear of the plane. Multiple investigations ensued, ultimately leading to the conclusion that the bird strike was the primary factor contributing to the tragedy.

In the immediate aftermath of the incident, the South Korean government set up an official period of mourning, erected memorial shrines, enabled free ground travel services for all affected family members to reach their loved ones, and established legal and emotional support services. Soon after, broad changes in airport inspections, regulatory frameworks, and infrastructure went into effect. Now, more than a year after the event, South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MOLIT) announced that it would be implementing advanced technology like drones to enhance airport safety.

MOLIT has committed 247 billion won, roughly USD 174 million, to install a range of sensors like thermal cameras and sound wave generators. They are also in the process of developing drones with sensors that can identify individual birds, count the number of birds present, and recognize bird species. The drones will also be used to deter birds from areas surrounding runways and airport structures. The drones will physically scare off birds, as well as release bird repellents to prevent them from returning.

Drone use has always been restricted near airports for safety. After drones were reported near London’s Gatwick Airport in 2018, affecting thousands of flights and causing millions of dollars in losses, airport drone restrictions became even stricter. However, as technology and understanding of drones have progressed, many airports around the world have come to embrace the technology.

Professor David Hyunchul Shim of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology expressed how some of these advancements can benefit airport management. “We made careful observations of flock dynamics and interactions between flocks and the pursuer,” he said. “This allowed us to create a new herding algorithm for ideal flight paths for incoming drones to move the flock away from a protected airspace.”

Southampton Airport in the United Kingdom, Edmonton International Airport in Canada, and both Atlantic City International Airport and Grand Forks Airport in the United States have begun using drones to address safety issues presented by birds on runways. However, this isn’t the only way drones are being used to assist in airport management. China’s Hong Kong International Airport regularly uses drones to inspect lighting systems and the condition of runway surfaces. Meanwhile, airlines like Air New Zealand and Lufthansa Technik use drones to inspect fuselages, engines, and wings of aircraft. Amsterdam Airport Schiphol uses drones for environmental and wildlife monitoring, while many other airports are using them to supplement security monitoring.

There are 28 airports throughout South Korea. MOLIT has announced that they will immediately begin trialing the drone systems at 6 of these airports. They have not clarified which airports will be using the drones yet, though it stands to reason that Muan International Airport, along with 5 of the remaining 8 international airports, will be the first to test the drone program. However, MOLIT says that all of the country’s airports will be equipped with drones and other safety upgrades by the end of 2026.

As the aviation industry continues to evolve in response to new challenges, South Korea’s proactive embrace of drone technology reflects a growing commitment to passenger safety and innovation. While the loss of Jeju Air Flight 2216 remains a profound national tragedy, the lessons learned are now shaping a safer future for air travel, not just in South Korea but potentially around the world.

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