Qantas's reputation for safety took another battering last week as Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority called on the carrier to raise its game and warned that it faces some emerging problems in its maintenance systems.
CASA has been reviewing the carrier's safety standards following some high-profile operational incidents that took place recently and has released some of its findings and recommendations. The safety authority "has looked carefully at Qantas maintenance systems and performance and uncovered signs of emerging problems", says CASA deputy chief executive Mick Quinn.
"The review found maintenance performance within Qantas is showing some adverse trends and is now below the airline's own benchmarks," he says, adding that a "comprehensive package of action is under way to address the emerging problems within Qantas. By taking action now, future safety problems will be avoided [and] the wide-ranging package of actions CASA has initiated will prevent any downward trend in Qantas maintenance performance."
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CASA says it has told the airline to explain "how the recent failures to fully comply with airworthiness directive requirements have been addressed", to "produce a plan to address deficiencies in meeting some of its own maintenance targets" and "examine whether the existing lines of authority and control over maintenance within the airline are delivering the best possible outcomes".
Even though CASA has made its recommendations, there will be no let up in CASA's investigation.
CASA says it will so two additional audits of the airline. One will be a full maintenance audit of one aircraft of each major type in the Qantas fleet - a Boeing 747-400, 737-400 and 767-300 - to check that all maintenance documentation for each of these aircraft has been completed, it says, adding that this audit will also include an inspection of the aircraft on the ground.
"The second audit will focus on the effectiveness of Qantas maintenance systems in managing and implementing airworthiness directives."
While CASA's statement highlights the concerns that it has, the authority says Qantas "has fully co-operated with CASA at every stage of the review and provided complete access to key personnel, data and systems. CASA is confident Qantas will act quickly and appropriately."
Qantas boss Geoff Dixon says that the airline is working closely with CASA to implement the recommendations. He says one reason Qantas in recent months had failed to meet its own key performance indicators and dispatch reliability is because of the industrial action taken by its maintenance engineers, a matter that has since been resolved.
CASA called the review following some high high-profile operational incidents in late July and early August.
The most serious incident, on 25 July, involved a 747-400 that was forced to make an emergency landing at Manila after a fuselage rupture that followed a cylinder explosion.
There was also the recent case of the Qantas Boeing 767-300 heading for Manila that had to return to Sydney because of a suspected hydraulic system problem.
Source: Flight International
