Ensuring aviation safety in Bangladesh

Incidents of airplane crashes are increasing across the world. On October 29, a flight of Lion Air jet from Jakarta to Pangkalpinang in Indonesia plunged mid-flight and crashed into the sea. Rescue teams in Indonesia are expecting no survivors from the 189 people who were on board.

The airlines in south-east Asian countries and other developed countries usually have experienced flight crew, new planes and proper maintenance. Still they are experiencing accidents. In Bangladesh, the situation is much worse. Though the number of air passengers is increasing in the country, the quality of service being provided by most of the private airlines is questionable. The planes being used are mostly old.

For the passengers of domestic flights in Bangladesh, flight delays due to technical or mechanical problems have become quite normal. Even emergency landings are nothing new to them.

But after the US-Bangla plane crash on March 12 in Nepal, in which at least 52 passengers died, passengers are considering these issues seriously.

Very recently, an US-Bangla flight carrying 171 people from Dhaka to Cox's Bazar had to do an emergency landing at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram due to technical glitches.

Experts believe that poor maintenance, lack of regular inspection, tight schedules of pilots and other problems are the main reasons behind domestic aviation emergencies and accidents. All the airlines and senior officials of civil aviation authority need to take these things seriously. They should ensure passenger safety.

Mohammad Rahat Hossen Khan

Department of Business Administration

East West University, Dhaka

[email protected]