Engineers’ Group Contends Passenger Safety Threatened

Contending that “Airline passengers are unwittingly facing higher levels of risk,” Fred Bruggeman, the General Secretary of Aircraft Engineers International, (AEI) (Web site: www.airengineers.org) alleges “system faults are being reported when commercially convenient for the [airline] to repair, rather than when they actually occur.”

Bruggeman leveled the accusations in advance of AEI’s annual conference in Malmö, Sweden, where the issue will top the agenda of aviation maintenance experts from around the world.

Bruggeman blames the perceived problem on what he contends is, “constant cost cutting by the airlines.” He says, “Many pilots feel the need to report defects only on homebound flights, or flights into airports where engineers are available.” An AEI survey finds 85 percent of such problems are reported on homebound flights, or flights bound for a maintenance base. The bottom line in Bruggeman’s estimation: “safety may be compromised to an unacceptable level.

Airlines, contends the AEI chief, are putting pilots under increasing pressure. He calls for closer cooperation between the people who maintain airplanes, and those who fly them to help address the issue.

© Cheapflights Ltd Jerry Chandler