16 February 2011

Air National Saga continues...


More damning evidence has been revealed about the safety record of Air National – New Zealand’s highest risk airline - grounded for another two weeks as it fights for survival. Air National took up a disproportionate amount of the Civil Aviation Authority’s time because of its “elevated risk profile,” according to CAA general manager of airlines Mark Hughes. Mr Hughes’ disclosures were made in a High Court affidavit released to National Business Review and supported evidence of CAA director Steve Douglas, who said public trust in Air National would be misplaced. NBR last week revealed CAA considered Air National – New Zealand’s largest charter airline – was also the country’s highest risk airline operator, with a risk factor between two and five times that of other airlines. CAA affidavits exposed dysfunctional management and a long history of safety breaches and safety-related irregularities. Last week Mr Douglas said he no longer had confidence “in the ability, or the willingness, of Air National to comply with the requirements and to voluntarily apply corrective actions to restore an acceptable level of safety.” Fourteen examples of risk identified by Mr Hughes between March 2009 and January this year  are listed at


Make sure you read the huge number of coments that follow. They make interesting reading in themselves...

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