A RIVERINA commercial pilot has criticised Qantas and called on all regional aviators to go a step further with a safety overhaul in the wake of the Germanwings tragedy.
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It comes as the federal government on Monday announced a tightening of safety legislation by requiring airliners to have two crew members in the cockpit at all times in response to the recent accident that killed 150 passengers.
But Rob Robillard of Griffith-based aviator Aerocare said commuters in regional areas needed to be reassured of flight safety before boarding.
While Regional Express (Rex) had already adopted the so-called “rule of two” in the cockpit since 2011, QantasLink will not tighten its own safety rules for planes with less than 50 passengers because it has not been mandated.
“Qantas’s motto is safe skies for all … but it could happen quite easily on a 50-seater,” Mr Robillard said.
“People need to be reassured. There are too many accidents happening, too many total losses.”
Mr Robillard, who has more than 28,000 hours’ of flying experience, said a third person trained to fly the plane would bolster passenger safety.
He said the third pilot could work as a flight attendant when not needed in the cockpit.
“Safety is of utmost importance and you have to do whatever it takes to be safe,” he said. “There are a lot of pilots hanging around that would love to be number three.”
Mr Robillard said the protocol would add to Australia’s already rigorous pilot screening program, adding that it was a pity the pilot of the ill-fated Germanwings flight had slipped through the cracks.
Rex, which has its home base in Wagga, issued a statement that said it wanted the cockpit changes to go further to include all flights requiring the carriage of a flight attendant.
Qantas said planes with a capacity of less than 50 passengers are generally less than one or two hours in duration, with “minimal” need for pilots to leave the cockpit.