A Japanese transport ministry panel has proposed a series of air traffic control measures aimed at enhancing safety in the wake of a fatal collision between a Japan Airlines jetliner and a coast guard plane at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport over six months ago. The panel's recommendations, outlined in an interim report by a group of experts commissioned by the ministry, include hiring additional air traffic control staff at major airports in Japan and implementing supplementary alert systems both on runways and in control rooms.
The proposal emphasizes the importance of reducing the heavy workloads of air traffic controllers, who are tasked with various responsibilities such as monitoring runways, communicating with pilots, and coordinating with other control staff. Specifically, the plan suggests increasing the number of air traffic control personnel at Haneda Airport, as well as at seven other busy airports like New Chitose, Narita, Kansai, and Naha.
