Asiana plane enters runway as another jet is due to land

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Asiana plane enters runway as another jet is due to land

An Asiana Airlines jet ignored air traffic control and started taxiing onto a runway at an airport in Okinawa, Japan, while another flight was attempting to land.

According to a spokesperson from Asiana Airlines, the passenger jet disobeyed orders from air traffic control and entered a runway at Naha Airport at 1 p.m. on Sunday, despite being told to wait before taking off.

A Japan Transocean Air jet that was about to land on the runway at the time was forced to abandon its landing procedures. The flight landed 20 minutes later.

No injuries were reported.

The spokesperson said the company will cooperate with Japan’s Transport Safety Board, which has already begun an investigation into the incident.

He added that Asiana has reported the incident to air control authorities, including the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, in Korea.

An official at Korea’s Transport Ministry’s Aviation and Railway Accident Investigation Board said that Japanese authorities are leading the investigation and that Korean authorities will provide support, adding that the Korean government is also conducting its own internal investigation.

The official explained that the investigation could take about a year, but administrative action against the pilot and company can be taken for any transport law violations.

Asiana’s latest safety issue comes as Kumho Asiana Group is set to sell the airline.

Lee Dong-gull, chairman of Korea Development Bank, the main creditor for Kumho Asiana Group, said Tuesday that the airline will likely be put up for sale sometime this week, according to media reports.

BY CHAE YUN-HWAN [chae.yunhwan@joongang.co.kr]
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