Flying in commercial aircraft is inherently safe as the industry is hugely regulated, pilots and cabin crew are highly trained, says The Mirror’s travel editor Nigel Nelson
Obviously this is a horrendous incident – absolutely terrifying for passengers and crew with the tragic loss of a life and some people badly injured.
However, flying in commercial aircraft is inherently safe. The industry is hugely regulated, pilots and cabin crew are highly trained and modern aircraft are, notwithstanding recent occasional issues, incredibly well constructed.
I have been to aircraft factories to see how they are made – to ultra-rigorous standards and tested beyond the limits of any imaginable hurricane. This is a safe industry and Singapore is an excellent airline. That said, accidents do happen and many of those are attributable to bad weather, as is unfortunately the case with flight SQ321.
I have been in severe unexpected turbulence over the North Atlantic once – and once was quite enough. It was fortunate there were no injuries. I was heading to the loo when the plane plunged and was literally shoved in a seat by a flight attendant before she leapt to her jump seat. If nothing else, this tragic Singapore incident is a reminder to keep your belt on whenever you are in your seat.
