El Al plane
צילום: ניב קלדרון
Official: Faulty aircraft maintenance may lead to disaster
Aviation experts warn that difficulty to enforce safety regulations in Israel could result in fatal accident
The series of breakdowns that were revealed in Israeli passenger aircrafts during the last year causes much concern among aviation officials in Israel, who warn that continued negligence might lead to a catastrophe.
"Not enough is being invested in the planes' safety, and this is a serious problem," Transportation Ministry Chief Inspector Yitzhak Raz said. "If we don't improve the maintenance of the aircrafts, a disaster is bound to occur."
The last in the series of incidents took place Monday, when smoke filled the cockpit of an El Al flight returning from Madrid. The plane, a Boeing 575, eventually made a regular landing at the Ben Gurion Airport, and technicians later discovered that the smoke was apparently the result of a short circuit in the engine's ventilator.
Raz and other aviation experts agree that although the recent recurring technical problems had nothing in common, they were all due to "the meager investment in the issue of aviation safety in Israel."
According to Raz, "The Israel Airports Authority is at its lowest point when it comes to its inspection capabilities, and the situation is very serious." He explained that the problem was mainly due to the shortage in manpower and the Authority's inability to enforce regulations.
