Published:
Aviation Regulatory Lapses Significantly Reducing Safety Levels
HOOFDDORP, The Netherlands , July 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite all the
promises and promotional videos, the European Union's regulation of the
aviation industry has now hit an all time low placing passengers at an
unacceptable level of risk. With 2009 rapidly becoming one of the worst
accident periods for many years including the recent tragic events resulting
in loss of life, any weaknesses within the European Aviation Authorities and
the EU only serve to promote unsafe practices.
As a result, documented evidence confirms that commercially operated
aircraft are, on a daily basis, flying with defects that have not been
properly assessed. The consequence is to deliberately pass on the increased
risk factor to the unwitting fare paying passenger. AEI believes however that
a passenger purchasing an airline ticket does so in the belief that airline's
take their safety responsibilities seriously.
With maintenance budgets coming second only to fuel, airlines are
becoming ever more desperate to cut costs. This often involves deviation from
maintenance regulations when away from a maintenance base often by placing
flight crews under pressure to diagnose unserviceable aircraft themselves
although completely unqualified to do so.
Aircraft, of course, can be permitted to fly with certain defects, but
only after following strict procedures which includes proper defect diagnosis
by a qualified engineer prior to consulting the manufacturers dispatch
deviation guide, the so called Minimum Equipment List (MEL).
This is endorsed by aircraft manufacturer's recommendations relating to
the use of the MEL such as:
The aim of the MEL is not to encourage aircraft operation with
inoperative equipment, because it is not desirable for an aircraft to be
dispatched in these conditions, and such a situation is permitted only as a
result of careful analysis. The MEL should, therefore, be consulted on the
ground, and only when a failure has been identified and confirmed.
AEI believes the flying public should be both protected from and made
aware of such maintenance malpractices. Safety can only be guaranteed as long
as airlines strictly comply with airworthiness requirements which include the
proper diagnosis of defects by qualified engineers before any flight
continues.
Commercial considerations must not be allowed, under any circumstances,
to take precedent over flight safety issues. AEI cannot condone airlines
using passenger safety as a hollow marketing slogan whilst undermining safety
in areas normally hidden from passengers. Passenger safety must be paramount
as aircraft are replaceable, human life is not.
http://www.airengineers.org
SOURCE Aircraft Engineers International
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