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Pilots launch new ‘Most Wanted’ Safety Campaign 

The British Airline Pilots Association has today published an important new BALPA Most Wanted safety strategy that addresses the 11 issues pilots believe are most likely to cause a fatal accident.

COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on aviation – and the pilots union says the strategy aims to ensure flight safety and the health of everyone involved in aviation is not overlooked as the industry tries to deal with the crisis.

COVID-19 has arguably raised the stakes in terms of the safety risks associated with new and dramatically different modes of operation during and post-Covid, not the least of which will be the ramping up of commercial pressure like never before as the whole industry struggles to recover.

Indeed, we have placed commercial pressure at the heart of all these most wanted improvements as we believe it is a fundamental root cause.

The BALPA Most Wanted strategy takes this in to account and will be used to ensure flight safety remains a priority for everyone across aviation.

The strategy also examines other major events looming on the horizon that could bring with them additional safety threats, for example, the UK’s imminent exit from the EASA system. It will also focus on upcoming opportunities such as improved ways of certifying aircraft and training pilots, in this case on the back of the B737 MAX return to service.

Watch Chair of BALPA’s Flight Safety Committee at BALPA, Captain Tim Pottage here:

Head of Flight Safety at BALPA, Dr Rob Hunter said:

“COVID-19 has brought huge change to aviation and that must be reflected in our approach to flight safety. This strategy looks at the issues pilots believe could cause a major accident and identifies ways to mitigate the risks.

“In coming weeks BALPA will build on this base and roll out a number of flight safety actions to help ensure every flight is a safe flight.

“BALPA is leading the way on this and is urging airlines, regulators and Government to take note and make the changes that will keep pilots, passengers and the general public safe.”