SEOUL - A total of 500 incidents of aircraft colliding with birds have been reported at South Korean airports in the past five years, according to data released on Wednesday.
According to a news release by Yonhap News Agency, Heo Jong-sik of the main opposition Democratic Party, the 500 cases have occurred since 2019 and were submitted by airport authorities. Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul and Gimhae International Airport in Busan accounted for 115 and 112 cases, respectively. Six incidents were serious enough to require aircraft to return to their place of origin.
The report also disclosed that 113 personnel are currently deployed across the country's airports specifically to prevent bird strikes.