Flying isn’t just the most convenient and fastest way to travel for business — it’s also the safest.
Christine Negroni reports in Executive Travel on safety protocols on airplanes: “From the plane seats to the cabin air to the course and altitude of the flight, every decision in commercial aviation comes after careful consideration of its impact on safety.”
Advanced safety features
Modern-day jets now have electronic controls, making today’s pilot a manager of information and technology. Global positioning satellites, advanced displays and telecommunication have played major roles in improving safety statistics. Pilots are warned of approaching terrain or potential conflicts with other airplanes.
Other elements that make flying safe include movement detection monitors, compact aircraft flight controls, protective and fire-retardant seating and cabin insulation, and emergency lighting.
Even with all these features that ensure all commercial flights are safe, travel by private jet is still safer.
Taking security to the next level
According to Fred George, blogger for Aviation Week, flying by private jet has security advantages. For example, at most FBOs, front-desk personnel greet all visitors. Staffers quickly determine the purpose of individuals’ visits and how best to assist them — or escort them off the property if they don’t have a legitimate reason for being there.
“Business aircraft crew and passengers also spend very little time inside the FBO or GA terminal when they arrive or depart the airport, providing a relatively small window of time during which they’re potentially exposed to ground-based threats,” George writes.
Incidence of accidents
The National Business Aircraft Association has statistics, compiled by Robert E. Breiling Associates, Inc., that support the idea that flying by private jet is safer than commercial flying.
According to the NBAA, commercial airlines had 0.16 accidents — 0.0006 of which resulted in fatalities — per 100,000 flight hours in 2010 compared with 0.07 accidents with no fatalities per 100,000 flight hours for corporate/executive aircraft. That’s the lowest number of accidents for any flight designation. General aviation flights experienced 6.86 accidents with 1.27 fatalities per 100,000 flight hours last year.
At a time when many companies are rethinking the cost of operating business aircraft, the value of the enhanced safety and security benefits of traveling by business aircraft may be priceless.