Jetstar off to a shaky start

TRAVELLERS onboard Jetstar’s maiden flight tomorrow will be greeted by a billboard warning from aircraft engineers about the importance of pre-flight safety checks
Jetstar, Qantas’ cut-price airline, will make its first passenger flight from Newcastle Airport at 6am (AEST) tomorrow.
The Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (ALAEA) has hired a mobile billboard which will be driven around the airport’s public perimeter roads to promote its JetSafe aviation safety campaign.
ALAEA federal secretary David Kemp said while major airlines required an inspection be carried out by licensed engineers before flights, JetStar has proposed pilots do the checks.
“We don’t want to see Australia’s world class safety record undermined by the new low-cost airlines and we will be doing all we can to convince them to use the expertise of licensed aircraft maintenance engineers before each and every flight,” Mr Kemps said.
Jetstar has said all its safety checks meet stringent safety standards set by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority and aircraft manufacturer Boeing.
Cabin crew have been conducting pre-flight safety inspections on Qantas Link flights for the past four years, the airline has said.