More regulation is needed to cut airline risks

Market forces have not and will not deliver safe skies without a fundamental reform of safety and security standards, according to the International Transport Federation (ITF).

The ITF said that the events of 11 September in the US mean that:

* the safety-professional role of crews and ground staff must be recognised so that personnel are equipped, trained, fully qualified and motivated to deliver safety and security; and

* the effect of the deregulation and fragmentation of the aviation industry must be reassessed, together with their impact on safety culture.

The British pilots' union, BALPA, is backing a new system to alert airlines to any undesirable passengers who may be checking in. The system has at its heart a central international database. Governments, airlines and other agencies will be able to feed into the database details of passengers who have been disruptive, involved in air rage incidents or associated with terrorism.

The system will mean that, when a passenger checks in, the airline will be alerted electronically if the passenger is on the database. They can then decide what action to take.