Mon, Jan 12, 2004
Safety Concerns, Confidentiality Are Factors
At the intersection of politics and aviation safety, the British
government says it will name names of airlines banned from landing
in or overflying the UK and other European countries. Sort of.
British Transportation Secretary Alistair Darling made that
promise to an opposition party member in Parliament after MP David
Wilshire asked for the revelation. "If a government bans an airline
from its airspace it has to have a good reason. And we have a right
to know whether it is sensible to get on an aircraft," Wilshire
told the BBC.
But the ministry said it would not reveal the names of five air
transport operations which have been banned because there's
apparently some confusion on confidentiality rules.
The BBC reports two of the companies banned in 2002 from at
least one European country were still flying from the UK last
year.
After being banned, one of the two underwent further
inspections, according to a Transport Ministry spokeswoman. She
said no problems were found. The other carrier was not subsequently
inspected in Britain, but in six other countries. Again, officials
say there were no apparent safety issues. "As no major problems
were revealed concerning these airlines in subsequent inspections
we do not feel it's appropriate to name them," the spokeswoman
added.
In Switzerland, where the particular Flash Air 737 had been
banned for safety reasons 23 other aircraft have also been
forbidden to land or overfly. But the Swiss won't name the aircraft
or the companies which own them, citing a "gentlemen's
agreement."
But members of the EU Parliament are campaigning for full
disclosure and tighter rules on aviation safety. "We must ban from
our airspace planes that are not in perfect condition," said Paolo
Costa, the Italian chairman of the European Parliament's transport
committee.
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