A new instrument landing system that was installed in Penghu after a fatal airplane crash in July last year is scheduled to start operations next month.
The crash of TransAsia Airways Flight GE222 killed 48 people and injured 10 on board.
A preliminary Aviation Safety Council investigation showed that the flight had deviated from its course before it crashed outside Penghu’s Magong Airport. It also showed that the pilots had requested to land on Runway 20, but was denied permission to do so, because of inclement weather and visibility issues.
The results of the council’s preliminary investigation generated a discussion on whether the government needed to upgrade navigational facilities at the nation’s airports.
The Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) said that previous discussions about acquiring a new instrument landing system had centered on whether it could be used efficiently.
However, after the plane crash the CAA said that all relevant parties agreed that cost should be a secondary issue when it comes to improving aviation safety.
The agency then conducted a comprehensive inspection of all runways at civil aviation airports and chose the airports in Magong and Tainan for installations of a new system.
The new systems would lower the visibility requirement of Runway 20 in Magong and Runway 18 in Tainan from 1,600m to 1,200m, the CAA said.
The agency estimated that the systems cost about NT$20 million (US$648,700) each, adding that it would have to spend an additional NT$5 million to buy a simplified approach lighting system for the Magong Airport runway.
The nation has 17 civil aviation airports. To date, 14 instrument landing systems have been installed: four sets at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, two sets at Taichung Airport and two at Chiayi Airport. Kaohsiung International Airport, Taipei International Airport, Tainan Airport, Magong Airport, Kinmen Airport and Hualien Airport each have one set.
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