“The episode should have been a non-event, and one that would not last long. The airplane was in the control of the pilots, and if they had done nothing, they would have done all they needed to do.” William Langewiesche examines the reasons behind the crash of Air France Flight 447, one of the “most perplexing and significant airline accidents of modern times”.
Tag: travel
Reassessing airport security
“Terrorists are much rarer than we think, and launching a terrorist plot is much more difficult than we think. I understand this conclusion is counterintuitive, and contrary to the fearmongering we hear every day from our political leaders. But it’s what the data shows.” Bruce Schneier does not want to do away with airport security altogether, but neither does he want to waste any more money at the expense of better strategies to prevent terrorism.
Germanwings-Absturz: Wenn Sicherheitstechnik sich gegen die Sicherheit richtet
“Gäbe es keine Panzertür, dann hätte es diesen Absturz nicht gegeben … Dieses nachgerüstete 9/11-Geschwür ist Materialisierung eines vergifteten Zeitgeistes, dieses paranoiden Misstrauens.” Sascha Lobo und ein annonymer Pilot betrachten den Absturz von Flug 4U9525 als Flugzeugentführung infolge unzulänglicher Sicherheitskonzepte.
“Security theatre is the practice of investing in countermeasures intended to provide the feeling of improved security while doing little or nothing to actually achieve it.”
Is there a doctor on the plane?
“At any given moment, more than half a million people are in the air. What happens when one of them gets seriously ill—or even dies—mid-flight?” Emma Brockes reports on why no one ever actually dies on an aircraft. Interesting comments section.
Ryanair deserves a new name
“The culture is created at the top and reflects all the way down. Michael O’Leary is a twat. Can I say that, Mrs Lawyer? He is. There’s no getting round it. And Ryanair, the airline he has built in his image, is a twattish airline that treats both its staff and its customers with contempt.” Comment by Carole Cadwalladr.