Safety is in a rut, it seems. Mostly it is stuck there because the bad guys are not getting any better, despite pressure - and assistance - from the outside and, occasionally, attempts at self-improvement.
It is easy to see why a country such as Iran struggles. It is politically isolated and subject to sanctions. Airline oversight may not be top of government priorities. Likewise, the Democratic Republic of Congo's appalling safety record - it is poverty-stricken and war-torn.
Indonesia has fewer obvious excuses but has been consistently close to the bottom of the safety league for more than 30 years. Now it has invited some European assistance from the Joint Aviation Authorities Training Organisation, which will establish a training college intended as a centre of excellence for the region as a whole. This will offer the high-level skills and knowledge required for expertise in aviation safety oversight, a component hitherto missing in Indonesia.
Western Europe has had only one fatal accident so far this year. Six passengers who bought tickets from a "virtual airline" based on the Isle of Man died in an attempted landing at Cork, Ireland. They thought they were flying with a carrier called Manx2, but the operation had multiple identities and appeared to lack centralised accountability. It was legal, though. Oversight organisations should have the expertise to recognise that virtual airlines are not desirable.
Source: Flight International
