KARACHI: This is with reference to your editorial “Making air travel safer” (April 24). According to some media reports, the ill-fated Bhoja Air plane was flying into an electrical storm. If this is true, I demand to know what was it that compelled the authorities to permit a flight in such bad weather. I lost a family member in that crash, an uncle whom I was extremely close to. Who is to blame for his untimely death?
To quell the sudden interest of the public in air travel safety, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) announced that it would inspect all private aircraft for faults. Why has the CAA woken up after so many innocent lives were lost? Why has it suddenly realised that it is its duty to ensure safe air travel? The fact that the CAA will now be inspecting planes provides me with no satisfaction. It does not even begin to make up for the huge loss that the victims’ family members have suffered.
I also want to know whether the personnel at the control tower performed their duties diligently or not. Did they see that the plane was flying straight into a storm? If so, did they issue a warning to the pilot and guide his flight path away from the storm?
I plead to the authorities concerned to take steps that would ensure that such disasters never strike in our airspace ever again.
Rabia Khan
Published in The Express Tribune, April 27th, 2012.
