Last night's ditching of the AS225 Super Puma shows why putting safety at the heart of aviation is not an optional extra, the British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA) said today.

Whilst BALPA will await the report from Air Accident Investigators before commenting (and speculation before then is unhelpful) there is little doubt, BALPA said, that the professionalism of the crew and the training of the passengers saved lives.

The North Sea can be a dangerous place at the best of times and the poor weather last night increased that. But the crew and passengers would have had 3 layers of clothing, plus emersion suits and lifejackets including locator beacons.

They would have been briefed on what to do in this situation immediately before take off and would have been required to watch a detailed video within 24 hours of the flight.

The aircraft equipment also performed as expected, evidenced by the fact that the aircraft stayed afloat and upright and the liferafts were both deployed and used.

Jim McAuslan General Secretary of BALPA said 'The industry works together to make the inhospitable North Sea as safe as possible. Last night's avoidance of fatalities shows that investing in safety pays off.

'This is something we in aviation have to constantly work at so the public can travel safely.

'It should be a reminder to us all to make sure we take in those pre-flight briefings.'

Further information: Keith Bill 020 8656 0860 or 07968 528 527