At this time of tragedy, our thoughts and prayers are with the relatives of those who died in the FlyDubai plane crash at Russia’s Rostov-on-Don international airport. As Ghaith Al Ghaith, the airline’s chief executive, said: “Our primary concern is for the families of the passengers and crew who were on board. Everyone at FlyDubai is in deep shock and our hearts go out to the families and friends of those involved.”
When incidents like this occur, there may be some speculation as to the cause of the accident, but rumours and theories spread unhelpful misinformation about the precise cause of tragedy. It is imperative that the authorities in Russia and the UAE are given the appropriate space and time they need to conduct a thorough investigation of the crash.
FlyDubai has said that Mr Al Ghaith will lead the airline’s response to the accident. “The focus of our efforts is on establishing the facts around the incident and providing all possible support to the authorities,” an airline statement said. FlyDubai operates nearly 1,400 flights to about 90 destinations per week and has recently expanded its operations in Russia. A team from the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority will take part in the investigation.
As with other previous incidents involving commercial planes, the industry will learn from this accident to keep the international aviation sector safe. The air travel business has a proven track record in studying accidents and disasters and using those lessons to help improve passenger safety. Air travel remains one of the safest methods of travel but this accident will, naturally, be a cause for concern for many.
At this time of tragedy it is also important to remind ourselves that the record of the UAE’s aviation sector has been very good. Flight FZ981 was operated by the next-generation Boeing 737, which has been serving airlines throughout the world since the 1960s. Both pilot and co-pilot were fully experienced and versed in the operation of the aircraft, according to FlyDubai’s chief executive.
The full investigation into the cause of this accident will, no doubt, yield important lessons for the future, but for now the authorities should be allowed to do their job in establishing a true narrative of events and an exact cause of this tragedy.