Source: AFP Author: Chris McCall 08/04/2008
Subject Concerned: Government Aircrew Airlines
Australian civil aviation officials announced an unprecedented special review of Qantas after three mid-air dramas in the space of two weeks threatened to tarnish its safety record.
The investigation by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) came as flight attendants asked top company officials for a special meeting and assurances that Qantas aircraft are safe.
Qantas prides itself on its extremely good safety record, having never lost an aircraft in an accident, but recent incidents including a mid-air blast that ripped a large hole in the fuselage have dented its image.
CASA spokesman Peter Gibson said on Aug. 3 that the review is unprecedented. A senior authority official, Mick Quinn, will head the inquiry, which would take about two weeks, Gibson said.
"We want to look at their safety systems to make sure that the systems are operating the way they should," Gibson said. "All these things are stated in manuals. We want to make sure that what is in the manuals is being done."
Gibson said recent audits of Qantas procedures had not shown up any problems, but following the latest incident on Aug. 2, the authority felt it was prudent to make extra checks.
On Aug. 2, a Qantas Boeing 767 bound for Manila was forced to turn back to Sydney after developing a leak of hydraulic fluid in mid-air. It followed two other safety scares.
On Jul. 25, a Qantas Boeing 747-400 en route to Melbourne from Hong Kong made an emergency landing in Manila after a blast believed to have been caused by an exploding oxygen cylinder ripped a large hole in its fuselage.
And on Jul. 28, a Qantas 737-800 was forced to return to Adelaide after a landing gear door failed to retract.
Qantas banks heavily on its image as the world's safest airline. In the movie Rain Man, it was famously cited by the autistic central character played by Dustin Hoffman as the only airline he was prepared to travel on.
However, the latest incidents have left even Qantas' own staff concerned. Flight attendants made a special request at the weekend to meet senior management to discuss the problems.