Travel Safety Update - Asia / Pacific.

Aug 2, 2009

Boeing

Thailand's department of civil aviation reports that crew fatigue, poor training and inadequate crew resource management were the reasons for the 16 September 2007 One-Two-Go Boeing MD-82 accident during a landing in stormy weather at Phuket airport, Thailand. The aircraft ran off the runway and was severely damaged. The airline was grounded and ordered to improve its safety management, but it is flying again now. Jul 21, 2009

Continental Airlines

Continental Airlines made an apology to former Indian president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Wednesday after staff had frisked him at Delhi airport, to Indian uproar. The Indian government has filed a police report against the airline, as protocol at Indian airports exempts specific dignitaries from security checks, and gave Continental Airlines seven days to respond. "Continental Airlines apologizes to the former President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam for any misunderstanding and/or inconvenience related to the security screening," the airline said in a statement. "Our intention was never to offend Dr. Kalam or the sentiments of the people of India." Continental Airlines had earlier said there were no exemptions to its security procedures and that it believed Kalam had not been offended. Kalam is seen by many Indians as the founding father of the country's missile program and a man with a common touch. He was frisked in April but the check caused an outcry in the Indian media and parliament when it became public knowledge. The aviation minister called it "unpardonable", according to local media reports. Indians posted blogs or comments on the internet asking how Americans would react if a former US president were frisked by a foreign airline. Jul 22, 2009

Qantas Airways, Boeing

A Qantas Boeing 737-400 flying from New Zealand to Australia was forced to turn back when the cabin started to lose air pressure, the airline said in a statement. The Australian carrier has an excellent safety record but has come under scrutiny over the past year after its aircraft experienced a series of technical problems in flight. Qantas said Saturday's incident involved the 737 ascending out of Auckland en route to Brisbane. At 25,000 feet it developed a "subtle pressurization problem", the airline said. The aircraft landed and all 91 passengers disembarked safely. The plane is being examined by engineers. "The cabin was depressurizing at a controlled rate but certainly not rapidly or noticeably to passengers. There was never any imminent threat to passengers, the crew or the aircraft," the airline said in the statement. Jul 27, 2009

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