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.
The fatal collision on January 2 involved a Japan Airlines Flight carrying 379 passengers and crew, which landed behind a coast guard aircraft preparing for takeoff on the same runway, resulting in a fire that engulfed both planes. While all occupants of the JAL airliner were safely evacuated, the coast guard plane's captain sustained burns, and five crew members lost their lives.
The investigation into the incident has been focusing on determining why the coast guard flight crew proceeded with takeoff without a clear approval from air traffic control. The Japan Transport Safety Board is still conducting its inquiry into the collision.
In addition to staffing changes, the panel recommended the introduction of a runway alert system known as Runway Status Lights (RWSL), which uses lights embedded in runways and taxiways to automatically warn pilots and vehicle operators of unsafe conditions. The report also proposed adding an alert sound to the aircraft position monitoring system as a backup measure in case visual warnings are overlooked.
Transport Minister Tetsuo Saito submitted the report to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, pledging to implement the proposed measures promptly, with a focus on increasing staffing levels before the upcoming summer travel season.
