Airspace congestion jeopardises safety

Flight safety is reduced by airspace congestion, says Thomas Steffen, a pilot with Swiss International Air Lines and head of safety at Aeropers, the industry association n an interview published today by Tamedia newspapers, the expert denounces safety shortcomings, especially in the United States. +Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox Less stringent safety standards in the US are nothing new. However, with the increase in air traffic, the issue of safety is becoming more urgent. US airspace is much more heavily used than European airspace, Steffen points out. In addition, air traffic controllers and meteorologists have recently been laid off. Staff are overworked and in some cases conditions are chaotic. When asked about the current high number of plane crashes, Steffen shares with the journalist interviewing him the impression that there are more frequent incidents. However, this data must be considered in relation to the number of flights, he adds. For the ...