FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:April 15, 1998                                                             CONTACT: Earl Foster/ACTE President, Nancy Holtzman/Executive Director, 703.683.5322   ACTE President: Does Safer Skies Proposal Go Far Enough? Washington, Apr.16- Though stating that a new government proposal to improve airline safety would certainly be a step in the right direction, Association of Corporate Travel Executives President Earl Foster claims the announcement (made Tuesday by Vice President Al Gore and the Federal Aviation Administration) raises more issues than it addresses. The two crucial points of this proposal entail more rigorous inspections of jet engines, including the titanium fan blades, and the installation of ground-proximity detectors in cockpits. "Like millions of traveling Americans, I was under the impression that FAA engine inspections were as rigorous and as standardized as possible," said Foster. "The FAA should automatically adjust its inspection procedures to match the complexity and design of newer aircraft engines. I was somewhat dismayed to read -The flight crews, operators, manufacturers, and the FAA are now headed in the same directioní in a quote attributed to FAA Administrator Jane F. Garvey. I believe the FAA should be determining the direction - the safest direction - and mandating that the aviation industry follow." Ground-proximity indicators are instruments which compare a plane's location against a global database of mountains and other terrain. They are designed to eliminate controlled flight into terrain, a phenomena which accounted for 25 percent of all commercial airline accidents in the last nine years. "It is the responsibility of government to recommend the acquisition of and the nation's carriers to avail themselves of any device that will help guarantee the safety of the passengers," said Foster. "Changing technology will eventually introduce all kinds of devices intended to give pilots every advantage. Not utilizing this technology would be like not choosing to carry a cockpit radio fifty years ago." Foster further stated that growth statistics for domestic aviation alone will demand higher priorities for aviation safety measures. "With a predicted increase from 600 million domestic passengers per year to over a billion by the year 2010, the FAA is going to have to do a lot more than implement spot proposals." The ACTE president called for a more reasonable and logical approach to updating ATC resources, airport improvements, and more standardized training for support personnel. "Every official government aviation story begins with the quote that air travel in the United States is the safest in the world. It did not get that way by coincidence. And air travel will not stay that way unless dramatic steps are taken now." Foster advocates developing and implementing the most stringent inspection procedures as required to maintain the best possible safety record. Newer, more accurate and more reliable instrumentation should be installed as it becomes tested and available. The text of the recent airline plan will be the subject of discussion at ACTE's 10th Annual Conference in New Orleans next month. The Association of Corporate Travel Executives is wholly dedicated to developing educational programs, generating statistics, and advising major corporate interests on how to maximize their return from business travel resources. --------------------- For further information contact: Nikki Walker Tel: +32 2 743 1552 Fax: +32 2 743 1550 E-mail: [email protected] Lisa Lopinsky Tel: +1 703 683 2408 Fax: +1 703 683 2720 E-mail: [email protected] # # #