Saturday, May 05, 2007

Plane perspective

Condolences to all the family members of passengers and staff of the airline.

This is a tragic time, as are all plane crashes when they happen. This time, it has happened to Kenya Airways (KQ), an airline with an exemplary safety level.

I flew on KQ this week and will gladly fly with them tomorrow or any other day. It is an unpleasant fact of life that anything could happen to me - the next time I get into a car, light a match, walk onto a sports field, step into a bathtub, enter a building, or board a plane.

The question of air crashes in Africa should not arise - they happen all around the world. Yes, there are bad airlines, but it is not an African thing. Poorly run airlines do not last for very long as passengers avoid them (unless they have no alternative) and authorities (should) step in and shut them down. The (unfortunate) passenger list produced by KQ is an endorsement of the high regard that other nations have for the airline.

Plane crashes should never happen and when they do, one plane crash should not be a matter of concern. It is only when an airline, or airport, or country has a series of avoidable crashes that the aviation world and public take notice and realize that’s something is wrong. In 2006, questions were asked about Nigeria and Indonesia) - and often old aircraft or unsafe regions are factors. The 737-800 was the newest aircraft at the airline which has continually upgraded its fleet to meet the highest standards of service and safety.

KQ should keep on flying high and remain the Pride of Africa


Plane I flew

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is sad news indeed. I can only hope that there will be some survivors. I believe no death statistics have been issued?

egm said...

That is sad. As of a few minutes ago (it's now 9.40am in Boston) when I read news reports there was no news of even the plane being located.

Like you say, this is tragic, but we can't let it curtail us from moving on with life. My sympathies to the family and friends of the passengers and crew.

Kenyanomics said...

It surely hurts. The airline has had 30 years of impeccable safety and repair standards. I salute it, and offer my condolences to the victim's family and friends.

Anonymous said...

It is sad not only to the affected families, but to the wider community also, since it affects us in a way or other. KQ, i believe is one of the best airlines we have in africa and attribute this to an act of GOD basing my word on the current news.

Anonymous said...

To the person that thinks Kenya Airways has an exempleray safety level, you're correct. In Fact Kenya Airways only had one other accident in 2000 with an irbus A-310 off of the Ivory Coast. There are pleanty of other worldwide airlines that cannot claim such a safety rating.

Anonymous said...

Do you think the Martians have taken it? Perhaps that's why they can't find it?

Anonymous said...

My deepest sympathies to all affected by this horrific tragedy. It’s about 8.55 AM on Sunday morning here in Boston and still no word on the whereabouts of the ill fated plane. Oh! the aguish… but that’s debate for another day.
Right now my problem is with BBC online (Africa News). On its most current related post titled “Search for Kenyan flight resumes”, it highlights the following fact twice….in one short article. Please read:
Mid-page > “Kenya's national carrier has a good safety record but 169 people died when one of its planes crashed in 2000”.
Page-end > “In January 2000 a Kenya Airways plane crashed into the sea after taking off from Abidjan airport in Ivory Coast killing 169 people. There were 10 survivors”.
Not at all a journalist, I’m surely missing some rules here as I call you to arms against the obvious perception this article strives to create. In this time of ‘anticipated mourning’ the best this internationally renowned news source can remind the world is the fact that KQ has had one other crash. I’m sure you can all read between the lines on this one. Do you see any emphasis on the fact that there’s really been just one other KQ crash?? Some of you will term me combative or overtly emotional but keep in mind that news articles such as the one aforementioned create pictures of Kenya.
KQ has simply been a great and EXTREMELY SAFE airline and even though not “as Kenyan” any more, it’s a great source of pride to wanainchi. Patriots must vengefully respond to such thinly veiled attacks.
This is what you can do: Log on to http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/make_complaint_step1n.shtml and COMPLAIN …in a diplomatic way that is. I have already submitted five complains. What have you done for KQs honor??

bankelele said...

No crash site updates, almost 30 hours later. Must be deep forest, which is better than landing in the ocean at night.

mwari: passenger details now out from KQ

egm: News is scanty from the forest

Kenyanomics: Agreed

morehtracks: The aviation indutry as a whole suffers whenever there's a crash anywhere and they find out teh faut and fix it where they can

BOSTON BROKER: All the wires and even BBC are having trouble getting the news it sems. The things we take for granted

Phil said...

My prayers go out to all bereaved families who lost loved ones, Plane crashes are a fact of life, KQ Will remain a great airline and still be the pride of Africa.

Unknown said...

I used to work at KQ less than eight months ago...

Safety is one of the Core values that Titus kept & still keeps drilling down every employees ears.

The fact that its the second accident in a decade is not good for an African Airline (public relations). Worse still - both accidents occurred in Africa... I can bet you, "The West" will take maximum advantage to shred KQ's reputation as a global player to pieces in the coming months...

Really sorry for all the passengers affected and I'm praying for a miracle. That plane was too new and modern for all to perish - we need some survivors!!!

Anonymous said...

What could have happened to KQ 507?

1. Corrupt officials at either or both the Abidjan and Douala airports OVERLOADED the plane.
People who have flown thru west African airports are familiar with the way airport officials record just half of the weight of your checked in luggage then make you "pay" for the other half directly to them.
Same goes for hand luggage, where any excess weight is not left behind but "paid" for.
So the KQ crew might have flown thinking they are carrying half of what they are actually carrying.
Add to that INCOMPETENT airport officials NO RADAR and BAD WEATHER.

2. Maybe someone is actually not be too happy with Kenya Airways growing that fast in the African Skies.
Conspiracy theory? Maybe but where there is smoke there is fire.
Who might want to hurt Boeing? Who might feel that they not KQ should have a monopoly over francophone skies? Who is jealous of KQs growth into Southern Africa? Whose interests might be furthered by such an incidence? Shindwe! :)

Already some are calling for KQ to cancel West African flights…if there is indeed any mystery or foul play, isn’t that the perpetrators whole point?

So:
a) Next time airport officials let you carry excess luggage take a ‘pause and calmly think about it‘!

b) God Bless Kenya!

Natalie said...

whatever you guys might say about the'politics' between carriers and nations - can we do something about it? My good friend Ruby Mary Paul told me that she would meet me in Chennai, India on Monday. she was on that ill-fated flight. Who can compensate her family? She was such a good human being!

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