Perben: Safer skies

Paris, Aug. 29 (Reuters): France said today it hoped its new blacklist of airlines banned from landing in France would speed up European moves to “name and shame” airlines who failed to meet international safety standards.

France, and neighbour Belgium, listed on the Internet 14 companies banned from using their airports or airspace due to concerns over their safety or aircraft maintenance record. International airline safety has become a particularly sensitive issue following four fatal crashes in August alone in which more than 330 people died.

“This list also has the merit, we hope, of leading the way at a European level, so that we get a European blacklist as soon as possible,” said Maxime Coffin, director of France’s DGAC civil aviation authority. “We believe publication is a deterrent, a warning to other companies that have not been sufficiently rigorous, that shows them that if they don’t take the necessary steps, one day they too could be banned,” he said.

On the website www.dgac.fr, France also published “whitelists” of approved charter airlines used by French tour operators which met international safety standards.

French transport minister Dominique Perben on Thursday had vowed to publish the lists in response to the deaths of 152 French nationals on August 16, when a jet from Colombia’s West Caribbean airline crashed in Venezuela.

But it was unclear whether publication of the DGAC lists would have prevented the West Caribbean tragedy. The airline passed two safety checks on French territory, though Perben said tests would have been tougher had France been informed of previous problems with the airline. A Colombian audit found a lack of crew training, incorrect use of flight logs and maintenance problems.

“Unfortunately, putting this or that company on a list is not enough to prevent accidents,” said Coffin. The DGAC was reliant on national air safety bodies faithfully enforcing standards and reporting concerns to international bodies.