Air Travel: How Safe Is It?

Despite the high standards of safety in civil air transport, aviation disasters continue to occur; with increasing numbers of passengers being carried a year, and the move towards deregulation worldwide, it is timely to examine the risks related to air travel and to see where managers have succeeded and failed. This book argues that, even though there has been a steady improvement in air safety, lives continue to be lost unnecessarily and there is scope for improving the general level of safety. Drawing from his long experience as an airline pilot and former chairman of BALPA, the author looks at a wide range of aspects, from human factors in aircraft accidents to growing problems with operational environments and hijackings and sabotage. He argues trenchantly that there is room for improvement.