Grim reminder: Japan Airlines A350 plane on fire following the deadly crash at Tokyo’s Haneda airport on Jan 2. — Reuters
Following a fatal collision between a Japan Airlines jetliner and a Japan coast guard plane at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport in January, construction has begun on new runway status lights at the C5 taxiway near the accident site.
These are red lights embedded in a runway and taxiway that illuminate to alert pilots when two aircraft are taking off and landing on the same runway, or when two aircraft might be entering a runway at the same time.
The system is already installed in parts of New Chitose, Itami, Fukuoka and Naha airports.
Based on discussions by a committee of outside experts for accident countermeasures, the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry decided to install and expand the system at these and four other major airports: Narita, Haneda, Chubu and Kansai.
The work on Oct 2 began just before 1am local time, during the two-day period in which Runway C is closed at night each week.
Workers dug out part of taxiway C5 to a depth of about 30cm and installed three bases for the lights, about 20cm in diameter, as well as piping.
By 5.30am, the area had been filled and repaved.
Approximately 1,500 lights are scheduled to be installed on runways A, B, C and taxiways at Haneda Airport. Operation of the runway status lights is scheduled to begin on the C5 taxiway by March 2028.
The remaining seven airports will aim for full operation by the end of fiscal 2030. — The Japan News/ANN
