The underlying managerial culture of modern enterprises is to push productivity to within a millimetre of breaking the people or the equipment, and to lift output year in year out. Unfortunately in the airline game, that can kill hundreds of people at once.
Airline safety
Flight attendants at risk in turbulent times
When turbulence hits, it’s flight attendants who stay standing til the last minute — and bear the brunt of injuries. But perhaps, as with parents and oxygen masks, they should save themselves first.
CASA, Qantas and the documents they don’t want you to see
CASA is confident about Qantas safety, but if that’s the case, show us the documents.
Expect hurdles along the Kokoda Track crash investigation
The Australian role in the official inquiry into the Airlines PNG crash that killed nine Australians on Tuesday as they were about to start the Kokoda Track walk is going to be incredibly difficult.
Plan to cut cabin crew ratios sneaks under the radar
A CASA working party is considering a submission to reduce the number of cabin crew on Australian airline services as a cost cutting method. However, this is a safety issue.
Airline safety is slipping backwards
A new report from Safeskies Australia says airline safety is slipping backwards to fatality levels not seen since the 1990s or 1980s, writes Ben Sandilands.
787 Dreamliner: flawed inside and outside
New revelations about the “plastic fantastic” Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s wing problems show that they fail at lower stress levels than almost any other airliner in history, says Ben Sandilands.
ATSB reports make light of the real teeth-clenching risks
The ATSB is not there to give blunt warnings to the Australian public, but follow the softly spoken, evasively worded protocols.
Crikey Clarifier: Why can’t I use my laptop when the plane is taking off?
A Crikey reader asks: why can’t I use my laptop or mobile phone when the plane is taking off or landing? Ben Sandilands has the answers.
AF447 speculation in tatters
There is growing confusion over what happened in what sequence to Air France flight AF447 early on 1 June over the mid Atlantic. It all seemed a lot simpler 24 hours ago, writes Ben Sandilands.
What it feels like to go down in a plane crash
In their memoirs, two survivors tell of their trips out of the air — and the repercussions of defeating the odds.
Bloggers try to make sense of AF447’s fate
While there’s still no clear idea of what happened to AF447, well-informed bloggers — like Crikey’s Plane Talking — are suggesting what might have gone wrong.
Damning audit slams CASA’s safety record
The world’s peak aviation safety organisation has told Canberra that CASA is inept.
Qantas asks how Emirates’ near crash flew under radar
Sometime early in April, Qantas senior management is believed to have put rockets up News and Fairfax senior management.
We're all going to die Emirates flight 407: centimetres from death
On 20 March, Emirates flight EK 407 from Melbourne and the 275 people on board were seconds and centimetres from a fiery death.
Rationing the skies
So much for ‘renegade’ air traffic controllers causing chaos in the skies, writes Ben Sandilands.
How safe is Qantas really?
Crikey reader David asks: “Is Qantas’s record as good as we are led to believe? And how are the stats to be compared: deaths, emergency landings per hour flown, per aircraft, per trip?” Ben Sandilands responds.
Inside the exploding Qantas 747. Oh dear.
Pictures have arrived of the Qantas 747 with the troublesome oxygen bottle.
AirServices memo fails to shift the blame
The crisis gripping Australian air traffic control has serious safety implications, writes Ben Sandilands.
AirServices Australia memo
CEO Direct — Service interruptionsWednesday, 30 July 2008
The environment we are operating in
Over the next few days there will be further media on the issue of service interruptions, current and future staffing levels and associated issues. It is very important for the management team and I to provide you with a clear position on the central issues […]
The full bottle on the latest Qantas thrill ride
The clues about the cause of the ugly Qantas laundry drop at Manila last Friday are falling into place, writes Ben Sandilands.
ANZ profit plunge precedes another loss in business confidence
Just as investor confidence was being battered for the second day in a row by a surprise from a leading bank, there’s a new forecast of a further downturn in business confidence, writes Glenn Dyer.
ATC emerges as a threat to air safety. Something should be done
Staff shortages are crippling Australian air traffic control. It’s just not safe, writes Ben Sandilands.
Qantas trashes the brand to save the business
Qantas is trying to centralise the rewards of running an airline and externalise the costs and risks. But it’s not as easy as that, writes Ben Sandilands.
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