Cross check

Two recent incidents involving PIA aircrafts in the month of June 2019 point to serious flaws in the professional competence and training of cabin crew and executives assigned to head the flight services department. It also reflects poorly on CAA Pakistan which certifies cabin crew in performing this basic essential duty which is to ensure that all passengers on board are evacuated within mandatory 90 seconds as per ICAO regulations. Commercial passenger aviation industry requirements are very different from cargo or military aviation industry. PIA has faced a partial ban on its fleet by European Union EASA, primarily for compromises on basic safety requirements. Aviation is very unforgiving and such lack of professional skills require strict disciplinary punishments.The numbers of doors equipped with emergency slides are dictated by the total number of passengers. An unserviceable door or missing emergency slide impacts the number of passengers seated in that zone, who will not be evacuated in time. In-flight service of meals and refreshment etc depends upon airline policy. Low cost airlines do not offer either hot or cold meals yet they still have to carry minimum required trained cabin crew to meet essential emergency evacuation requirements. It is the SOP that before every departure, after all ground staff has disembarked, the cabin crew is instructed to: “Prepare for departure, Arm Door Slides and cross check”. Similarly after landing cabin crew is instructed to: “Prepare for arrival, disarm door slides and cross check”. In both the recent PIA incidents neither the cabin crew designated on that particular door had followed procedure, nor did the purser or other cabin crew, or the passenger cross check.M TariqLahore

from The News International - Newspost https://ift.tt/2Ns08dN