Crackdown for Safety
Airline officials like to boast that air travel has been safer during the past 10 years than it was before Congress deregulated the industry. The most-quoted averages and statistics support their contention. But that is little comfort to frequent travelers who have experienced a disturbing number of delays because of mysterious cockpit buttons and lights that malfunctioned, or worse. What is important to them is the safety of their next flight. In that respect, the tough action taken by federal regulators this week against Eastern Airlines and its parent firm, Texas Air Corp., is welcome news.
Transportation Secretary James H. Burnley IV said the investigation should serve as a “shot across the bow” to all airlines that there must not be any compromise of safety because of financial pressures to cut corners. The Transportation Department and its Federal Aviation Administration should continue to fire such warning shots, and to follow up with stiff sanctions for any violations. Congress may have deregulated the airlines economically, for matters such as ticket prices and route allocation. But it certainly did not intend to weaken in any sense the government’s regulatory ability to require the airlines to fly as safely as possible.
The Federal Aviation Administration imposed a fine of $823,000 on Eastern for a continuing pattern of alleged safety violations and ordered a first-hand inspection of every one of the line’s 267 aircraft. At the same time, Burnley instituted an evaluation of Texas Air Corp. to determine whether turbulent financial conditions may be undermining the firm’s fitness to operate its Eastern and Continental subsidiaries safely.
Texas Air officials claimed that federal investigators were pressured into the action by union leaders who “have mounted a continuing campaign of distortion and lies” about safety at both Eastern and Continental. But the FAA cited 10 cases involving hundreds of Eastern flights by planes that had mechanical problems, had not been approved as airworthy or had experienced some other irregularity. One craft flew 511 flights even though it was not airworthy because of a missing engine part, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
As the airlines claim, the industry’s safety record during the highly competitive post-deregulation era has been good. But what may be more relevant to the safety of the next flight is the general atmosphere at some airlines that have been beset by financial and labor problems, that are under intense pressure to meet schedules and are getting every ounce of flying time possible out of their aircraft. The potential risk is compounded by airport congestion and troubles in the federal air-traffic control program.
The entire commercial air system is under stress. A recent study by Congress’ General Accounting Office identified financial stability and management attitude as key factors in maintaining safe operations, along with pilot competence and the quality of maintenance. Eastern’s president said the FAA was just citing procedural irregularities. But proper procedure is what it’s all about.
