Air Transport Association's Response To Recent Media Reports On Maintenance Outsourcing
POSTED: 4:07 pm PDT May 26, 2004
UPDATED: 4:21 pm PDT May 26, 2004
The safety record of the U.S. airlines stands out as one of the marvels of modern technology. Flying on commercial aircraft is by far the safest form of transportation; there are more fatalities on U.S. highways in a four-month period than in the entire 60-year history of commercial aviation.The airline industry has committed substantial resources to safety, dramatically reducing the risk and frequency of accidents. Improved aircraft design, intensive pilot training, advanced technology, and enhanced data collection and analysis have all contributed to safer air travel. The industry has been widely lauded for its work to continuously enhance safety, and Federal Aviation Administration statistics demonstrate the airlines' extraordinary commitment to safety.Commercial aviation accidents are so rare that a single passenger would have to fly every day for 19,000 years to experience a fatal accident.The number of airline accidents are down, not up -- a decrease of about two-thirds over 20 years. And the number of maintenance accidents each year have remained the about the same since 1980, about 2-3 percent of all accidents. Comparing the 1980s to the 1990s, airline maintenance accidents have actually decreased 11 percent decade over decade, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). No matter how you slice government accident data from the NTSB, airline travel is safer today than it has ever been.But some critics express concern. They assert maintenance-caused accidents are up as a proportion of all airline accidents since 1980, and that airline safety is undermined. This assertion is silly. The only reason the proportion of maintenance accidents has increased over time is because other categories of airline accidents decreased by two-thirds. The actual number of maintenance accidents each year is little changed; averaging 2-4 incidents per 10 million flights. In fact, between 1980 and 2002, there were eight years with zero maintenance-caused accidents. None. We believe a long, unabridged view is required to prevent critics from drawing bad conclusions from bad math.U.S. airlines have safely outsourced heavy maintenance on engines, airframes and other major components for more than 30 years. Most contract maintenance is done by U.S. workers who work for U.S. companies. This includes original equipment companies such as Boeing and GE. In addition, large U.S. repair companies routinely "import" and perform heavy maintenance work for several international airlines. So for the airline industry, outsourcing does not always equal off-shoring.Third-party repair facilities have helped carriers manage maintenance programs through peak and non-peak repair periods. This 30-year practice has never led to more accidents. In fact, there is absolutely no statistical difference in the safety record of aircraft that have been maintained by contract providers and aircraft maintained by the airlines themselves. In fact, contract maintenance providers follow identical FAA procedures and guidelines as the airlines. Moreover, the airline is responsible for supervising the contracted provider's work, just as it is for its own. This supervision is integrated into a robust training program for all airline mechanics, including "recurrent training" or continuing education at all major U.S. airlines, as well as a third level of protection called "human factors training" to reduce maintenance mistakes.Safety procedures are continually reviewed and standardized. Several aircraft manufacturers have improved their "service bulletins" and manuals. Today, maintenance manuals have been standardized and the instructions simplified. We believe this makes it easier for aircraft mechanics, whether they work for an airline or a third-party contractor. The airlines also have worked closely with the Federal Aviation Administration to refine their Continuing Analysis and Surveillance Programs, an initiative that strengthens the airlines' efforts in auditing internal and third-party maintenance and training. And the industry continues to incorporate "human factors training" in its maintenance resource management program to identify and mitigate risks, thereby reducing opportunities for errors.Safety has always been the industry's highest priority. And there will always be areas for improvement. But the commercial airlines' record of safety over the last two decades is a testament to their commitment to continuous improvement.
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