Shu Mingjiang, an official from the Civil Aviation Administration of China Photo: Courtesy of CAAC

China's civil aviation regulator said on Friday that it has taken concrete measures to address hidden dangers and ensure aviation safety, after recent accidents aroused the attention of the industry. 

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) regularly conducts safety assessments and screenings in compliance with domestic and international civil aviation regulations, and promptly responds to possible risks, Shu Mingjiang, an official at the CAAC who deals with air travel safety, said at a press conference on Friday.

Safety warnings will be issued for potentially affected flights, and route plans will be adjusted to ensure safe operations, Shu added. 

The comments came after recent plane crashes involving Azerbaijan Airlines and South Korea's Jeju Air, which have drawn global attention to flight safety.

Shu said the CAAC promptly convened special meetings to review the recent accidents, paying close attention to the progress of the accident investigations and cause analysis. The CAAC has also urged the industry to conduct thorough investigations and mitigate potential hazards to ensure the safety of aviation operations. 

As for the risk from planes hitting birds, Shu said the CAAC had called on airports to closely monitor winter bird migration patterns, and enhance bird deterrent measures in and around airport facilities.

It will also strengthen the application of scientific and technological measures to improve the accuracy of bird strike prevention. 

Different prevention measures are formulated based on the actual conditions of different airports and the activity characteristics of bird species to improve the efficiency of bird strike prevention, Shu said. 

Shu said the CAAC has also mandated comprehensive inspections to identify and address runway safety hazards, and strengthened emergency drills will further improve the efficiency of emergency response.

As for the coming Spring Festival travel peak, Shu said the CAAC will initiate safety oversight and inspections immediately to ensure safe, stable and smooth operation of the industry. 

An Embraer 190 aircraft operated by Azerbaijan Airlines crashed near the Kazakh city of Aktau on December 25, Xinhua News Agency reported. The aircraft had 62 passengers and five crew members on board.

On December 29, the Jeju Air flight 7C2216 from Bangkok, Thailand, to Muan airport in southwest South Korea crashed while landing, killing 179 people, according to Xinhua. 

China received its best-ever score of 90.19 percent in an audit in 2024 by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme, ranking among the best in the world, according to Shu. 

Data from the CAAC showed that in 2024, China's civil aviation maintained safe and stable operation. It is expected to complete 13.81 million transport flight hours, and 730 million passenger journeys throughout the year, with year-on-year increases of 13.1 percent and 18 percent respectively, setting new records. 

In just over 10 days, the 2025 Spring Festival transport season will begin. 

Li Yang, vice-minister of transport, said at a press conference on December 27 that the number of travelers during the Spring Festival holidays in 2025 will hit a record high.

The CAAC predicted that the passenger transport volume is expected to exceed 90 million in the coming holidays, setting a new record. 

Overseas travel is also expected to reach a new peak during the upcoming holidays, the CAAC said.

Global Times