The broken concrete structure of the localizer stands deserted at the site of the Dec. 29 Jeju Air plane disaster at Muan International Airport, South Jeolla Province, a day before the nationwide 49th-day memorial service for the victims, Feb. 14. Korea Times photo by Park Simon

Muan International Airport, which had been completely closed due to the Jeju Air passenger plane crash on Dec. 29 last year, has resumed flights for emergency medical care and educational training after 56 days, airport officials said Monday.

Aviation authorities permitted flights approved by the airport's control tower for rescue, search or medical evacuation beginning at 9 p.m. Sunday, the officials said.

A Jeju Air jet from Bangkok erupted into flames on Dec. 29 after crashing into the localizer's concrete mound as it overshot the runway when it made an emergency belly landing at the airport, about 290 kilometers south of Seoul. Of the total 181 people on board, only two survived.

The authorities also allowed educational institutions to conduct visual flights during the week without using a localizer, which provides precision guidance to aircraft approaching a runway. At present, five universities and three private organizations conduct flight training there using 21 aircraft.

Accordingly, each of the eight institutions began conducting takeoff and landing training at the airport Monday morning.

Civilian passenger flights to and from Muan have been suspended until April 18 to allow for safety and facility inspections, including improvements to the localizer mound. (Yonhap)