Opinion - Editorials   

Lessons from Sao Paulo calamity

The fiery crash of a jetliner on a scheduled flight to Sao Paulo has become Brazil’s worst ever aviation disaster. An estimated200 people died in an inferno when the TAM Airlines Airbus A320skidded off a rain-drenched runway at the Congonhas airport and crashed into an office building and a gas station. In recent months, a lot of effort has gone into ensuring safety at this airport. Sao Paulo’s airport, one of the busiest in South America, has a runway that is uncomfortably short for wide-bodied aircraft to make a smooth landing under normal conditions. Rain multiplies the risk of a fully loaded aircraft going out of control. The enquiry into the crash will reveal whether these factors played a role in the heart-rending tragedy. Brazilian civil aviation is in the midst of a time of troubles, which began last year with the death of 154 passengers in a mid-air collision between an aircraft operated by a low cost airline and a business jet over the Amazon. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva responded with a series of actions and announced recently that order had been restored to the country’s aviation sector. Evidently, much more needs to be done to take care of safety.

For the fast-growing global aviation industry, the Brazil crash is a reminder that ensuring uniform air safety standards remains a tough challenge. Air travel is booming in many developing economies. The International Air Transport Association estimates that over the next three years the number of passenger departures worldwide will rise by 500 million to touch 2.5 billion. While economic agreements to liberalise air travel among different countries are announced regularly and airlines are steadily expanding their fleets, many national governments have not acted to strengthen infrastructure. Unsurprisingly, several airlines with a poor safety record are prohibited from operating to destinations in the European Union; and some have been put on notice to shape up or face a ban. Addressing governments in Africa recently, Taleb Cherif, Secretary General of the International Civil Aviation Organisation, did well to highlight the message that an air transport system that is not perceived to be safe and secure by other countries can effectively bar entry into lucrative global markets and stunt economic growth. This observation is as relevant to India and South Asia as it is to Africa. Infrastructure and safety systems in the smaller airports need to be improved. More attention must be given to the training of pilots, especially foreign pilots who are unfamiliar with monsoon conditions. The Sao Paulo calamity should serve as a wake-up call.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

A new start on Iran
Lessons from Sao Paulo calamity
China greying — and learning to live with it
No one seems to learn from history
Corrections and clarifications
Poll panel ruling
Case against Haneef
Debate or denial?
Nehru & Edwina
“Increase in inequalities is worldwide”

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu