During a recent trip to Africa and the Middle East, I found myself in some situations that reminded me how important it is for each airline, and this industry, to really hold itself accountable for its safety performance. Sometimes stuff happens that distracts governments from oversight and enforcement, yet that show must still go on.
I was in Beirut visiting the Arab Air Carrier Organization and talking with Lebanon’s director general of civil aviation, an old friend. My timing wasn’t great. When I arrived, it was clear that the volatile state of domestic politics was taking a toll on civil aviation oversight; by the time I left the next morning, the government had collapsed.
Like everybody, I felt a little nervous as I headed to the airport that morning, but it wasn’t because I was afraid to get on the airplane. The airline personnel were sticking to their safety routine, and the airport operators were doing their jobs. And they were doing their job…
