The Air France 447 crash shocked the airlines, manufacturers and the travelling public. When it happened there was disbelief that a major Western airline could lose a fully serviceable latest-generation aircraft and all on board. There still is. The crash was, however, only the latest in a spate of similar accidents during the past 20 years that should have been a clear warning of the fatal risks, but which went unheeded (see box P37). The global airline industry faces a decision: whether to take radical and expensive action as a result of lessons learned; or accept crashes such as AF447 happen but are sufficiently rare that a cost-benefit analysis of the investment in further safety improvements does not stack up. If the latter view prevails, it is much the same as saying that another widebody crash with similar causes is acceptable.
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