Again, not sure why I’m engaging here but here goes anyways…is a new A350 where the airline name matches the website the ticket’s booked off of as safe as a clapped out RJ operated by the B-scale of the day? There’s tons of data on all 121 operators (because if they make an oopsie it’s a big enough deal that the FAA can’t ignore it) and the answer is pretty obvious. Trying to say that all 91 operations are the same is an even bigger stretch…especially because in a lot of ways it’s the Wild West from a regulatory standpoint. A good corporate operation should have better equipped aircraft and better trained crews than an airline.
Airline/charter safety is primarily driven by profitability—as much production as possible without any pesky news making accidents. Did airlines voluntarily equip with GPWS? TCAS? A good corporate operator is far ahead of mandates because of upper management’s sense of self-preservation and insurance policy requirements. But…again, there’s a lot of room between the best and worst 91 operators and far less between 121 operators. Narrow down to two-crew operations that carry high value liability insurance policies and I bet it turns into a very different discussion. Insurance companies mandate what the FAA doesn’t because claims aren’t profitable.
Airline/charter safety is primarily driven by profitability—as much production as possible without any pesky news making accidents. Did airlines voluntarily equip with GPWS? TCAS? A good corporate operator is far ahead of mandates because of upper management’s sense of self-preservation and insurance policy requirements. But…again, there’s a lot of room between the best and worst 91 operators and far less between 121 operators. Narrow down to two-crew operations that carry high value liability insurance policies and I bet it turns into a very different discussion. Insurance companies mandate what the FAA doesn’t because claims aren’t profitable.
