RE: Russian plane down!

That was the Ustica case, Kabir. A Lybian fighter jet was in the same air space (not knowing his real intentions) they shot. The Iran Air A300 was a deliverate shoot, well they didn´t know that it was a regular flight but shot directly. I was mentioning “lost missiles” and other shooting. If we include all cases….we have to speake about Kal 747 over Russia, and all planes shot down by different guerillas in the different third world countries the list is endless. Militars should keep their toy away from civil aviation. Too many inocent people have died.

RE: Russian plane down!

The Ukranian navy has just confirmed to have shoot the plane down incidentally. It was like a Kurks affair. This bring to my mind the Ustica case, long ago when an Italian plane was shot down by friendly fire. The militar stuff is always too intrusive and arrogant with civil aviation. Most third world countries, many civil airports share the place with the militars, causing misses and lots of incidents. Is it so difficult having the manuvers away from the air corridors?. This is a really stupid way to die. It´s enough the planes crashed, be hijacked, or smashed against buildings…now we have to take cara about missiles…..distressing.

RE: LHR faces over night flight ban

This is an old problem. Operations shouldn´t be banned at all. We have to remember that when airports were built, there weren´t houses around. What happens is that urban developments are built close to airports because it´s very convenient and properties should go up in terms of price an value. On the other way, everybody like having an airport close their house. Airports should be built first and in isolated areas. I have always wondered why in some years time, they are surounded by people.

RE: What will survive?

I totally agree with Kabir. Things will be normal soon.

RE: Overreaction regarding safety measures?

I agree with “no cabin luggage” few people know how dangerous could it be evacuating a plane when dozens of passengers get their luggage first and block emergency exits. turbulences which could open the racks and bring items down are dangerous for passengersis. I don´t care about early booking, but I don´t imagine armed pilots on board. I wouldn´t like it at all. All measures addressed to stop the event of a terrorist attack is wellcomed. I don´t mind how expensive this would be. I just want safety at all costs.

RE: Savety

Just follow what El AL does. Double doors, armed policemen and tight controls on bord and in the airport. They have achieved really good safety standards. I assume airlines are much more concerned about getting higher yields than improving these costly measures. Many people have pointed that armed police on bord could be risky (event of causing a cabin hole on shooting their weapons), it´s right, but I think is much better a despresurization than crashing the planes on a building. Having paralizing electric devices could be a good point for cabin crews. And whats important…..interchange of information among all countries secret services to prevent these guys to act again.

RE: Airlines on the edge

Well, of course airlines are business to earn money. But I think it´s too soon, to cut as much jobs as they are doing. I think this is a bad moment and confidence will come back to passengers. Who can avoid flying nowadays?. Many airlines are earning money, and talk about job cuts to earn even more. The solution to cut cost would others:
-Ask for a tax reduction is airport fees.
-Lower the price of tickets in some routes (still incredible high).
-Go on investigating in new resources of energy. We have to consider that it means the major portion of the operating costs.
-Better fiscal treatment of airlines by the statal tax offices.
And so on. I don´t want to say that many don´t need to get rib of jobs and that traffic has lowered. But come on….only 9 days since the attacks…are the figures so wrong by this?. I have been at my city airport this morning and talked to the employees and have seen myself that flights are leaving with the same occupancy, and Iberia is thinking about job cuts.