Comments on: Are Some Airlines Just Too Dangerous to Fly?

By: Jack Coleman

Jack Coleman — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 23:06:00 +0000

Garuda is one of the airlines that had a dismal record. However, they have turn the corner, upgraded to newer planes and now boast of profits. In fact, airlines with shoddy records should really start to turn their image around and follow the example of Garuda airline.

By: richard korman

richard korman — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 03:46:17 +0000

Below's a link to the latest on the crash in Libya. The airline operating that flight was Afriqiyah Airways. Like your Finnair flight, it was an Airbus, but those kind of connections aren't a good way to clear your mind about flying. Checking to see Finnair's record or if it was put on Europe's blacklist is a better approach. And remember, in general flying's very safe.--Richard Korman http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/africa/10195452....

By: Allan Johnson

Allan Johnson — Fri, 28 May 2010 21:48:18 +0000

We are scheduled to fly a Finnair A330 from JFK to Helsinki (June 5) and return to JFK (June 19). Is there any black box data on the crash in Libya in May 2010?

By: Davey of Cornwall,UK

Davey of Cornwall,UK — Sat, 15 May 2010 17:31:22 +0000

If a plane has to go against headwinds and the fuellers haven't filled it up properly it will drop out of the sky. Allegedly this happened years ago when fuellers mixed up gallons and litres, they thought a litre was 4.54 gallons. As to airframe cracks, I have flown in such turbulence that I'd have been bouncing off the ceiling if I hadn't had my seat belt on. I'd guess that half an hour of turbulence fatigues an airframe more than hundreds of hours of normal flight. Does anyone take note of this? These days I avoid flying as the airport workers always seem to be being bolshy. You don't get that trouble on a ferry!

By: Krov Menuhin

Krov Menuhin — Fri, 14 May 2010 16:40:41 +0000

What the author hasn't considered is the cultural bias that can and does confuse cockpit management. This is where the Asian Airlines, and others from countries that have a highly hierarchic cultural system, have a serious problem in that co-pilots refuse to criticize those senior to them. This problem has played a role in a number of accidents in S.E. Asia but outside of the industry little is ever mentioned.

By: gay

gay — Thu, 13 May 2010 18:44:28 +0000

I drink urine!

By: Richard Korman

Richard Korman — Mon, 03 May 2010 14:23:52 +0000

In reply to the previous posted comment, I agree. But you have to make the broader point, too, that you don’t have much control over these other factors and do have a small amount of control over the safety aspects of what carrier to fly. In the end you have more control over your diet and how what you eat may shorten your life than over airline choice or even airline safety governance. So eating your spinach and skipping the pie will extend your life more than what carrier you fly any one time.

By: tim tom, MPH, DrPH

tim tom, MPH, DrPH — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 22:17:23 +0000

Mr. LaBow,
Sometimes, that will be the case, HOWEVER, NOT always! You could be on a non-black listed, FAA approved, etc. aircraft which is new, with a long-time, trusted, established carrier of an Airbus, new Boeing, etc, with excellent pilots. It only takes ONE failed link in the chain to have an accident. So you might think you are safe paying top dollar, but even on your expensive flight, one aircraft controller could have had a busy day and be tired, a mechanic puts a “checkmark” in the box, verifying a change or check was done (per expensive airline protocol), BUT, he might get bonuses to falsify reports (which has happened and has led to deaths before, btw), or a top notch pilot could be exhausted from doing overtime to make more money, forget to call out an altitude, or a simple electromechanical transducer in your brand new expensive airline plane could fail, which does happen, and you could still die in that expensive carrier, so do NOT be fooled. MOST accidents are caused by HUMAN error, and humans run ALL airlines and ALL airtraffic controll rooms, regardless of income! True, I would prefer to take an expensive carrier myself, but you are wrong to assume “fly cheap=diecheap”, as you put it. PERPHAPS improved chances very, very, very minutely, BUT you are ALL still at risk if you fly anything!

By: Mr AE Pointer

Mr AE Pointer — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:26:15 +0000

Is there a way that an airline can be put into a “box” such that it can be checked out?

By: Tony Illia

Tony Illia — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 16:13:06 +0000

A well-crafted, thoroughly researched article that was incisive, intelligent and articulate. I would like to see more by this author.

By: Charles LaBow

Charles LaBow — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:44:47 +0000

Fly Cheap=Die Cheap