South Korea has developed two new airline safety management information technology (IT) systems that can promote adherence to recommended practices and prevent accidents, the government has said.

The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs said yesterday that the systems merge IT, industry-wide knowhow and expertise to boost efficiency and safety oversight of airlines and regulators around the world.

Both the Standards and Recommended Management and Implementation System (SMIS) and Total Oversight Management System (TOMS) have been approved by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), it said.

SMIS is the only system in the world that permits real-time monitoring of over 10,000 international standards and practices covering scheduling of planes, air traffic controls, maintenance and airport conditions.

TOMS is a dedicated safety system that can check up on airline operations, traffic control organizations and airport authorities. The system can facilitate safety inspections and create databases on inspections carried out that can make it easier for regulators to find weaknesses in the airline industry. Finding weaknesses or oversights is vital for preventing future accidents, the ministry said.

The ministry said that it plans to provide SMIS and TOMS to 50 countries this year, with up to 100 countries expected to employ the systems by 2013.

It said the European Aviation Safety Agency, Poland, China, Australia, Taiwan and Hong Kong want to use the IT systems along with 25 countries in Africa and the Middle East, and seven countries in Latin America.