Among the recent aviation accidents in Asia was Taiwan’s TransAsia Airways GE235 plane crashing into a river. The incident was a red flag of what may seem to be poor safety challenges among Asian carriers as air traffic grows exponentially.
The TransAsia disaster comes after the December 28th AirAsia QZ 8501 plane crash into the Java Sea. The AirAsia jet crash is still under investigation, though bad weather has been implicated in the flight from Surabaya to Singapore’s Changi Airport.
The AirAsia crash is the third aviation accident linked to Malaysia. On July 17, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 on a route from the Netherlands to Kuala Lumpur was shot down over the Ukraine-Russia war zone. It is not clear if the aircraft was authorized to fly over the area when it was hit by a ground-to-air-missile.
Prior to this aviation incident, MH370 disappeared from radar screens and is believed to have crashed into the Indian Ocean. However, there is no evidence of what happened to the plane. Malaysia has declared the MH370 an accident with all passengers and crew presumed to have lost their lives.
“An ATR 72-600 plane operated by TransAsia Airways, a private Taiwanese airline, turned on its side in midair, clipped a bridge, hit a taxi and careened into a river Wednesday with 58 people on board," the Associated Press reported via CTV News.
31 people from the TransAsia Airways crash died, while 12 are still missing, reports said.
With air travel becoming more affordable, more and more airplanes have taken to the skies creating an economic boom in Asia. However, training pilots who can maneuver aircrafts in tough weather and unexpected situations is the heart of Asia’s recent air aviation accidents and incidents statistics.
CEO of consultancy Safety Operating Systems and a former U.S. Airways pilot, John M. Cox said, "The demand is almost exceeding the supply.”
“Quickly growing airlines need to maintain standards as they hire pilots, maintenance workers, dispatchers and flight attendants. Cox said the Asian carriers are meeting those marks, but it's a challenge."
Former accident investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board, Keith McGuire said fast growth in the airline industry can overburden pilots and airplane maintenance.
"There is a misconception that just because an airline is new or, they are growing rapidly, therefore they are inherently unsafe. Investigators don't look at it that way," he said in an AP report.
“There are 89,000 daily flights around the world, according to flight tracking site FlightAware, including 25,000 in Asia. More than 99.9 percent of those land safely. Still, experts are concerned because of the region's rapid growth,” Denver Post reported.
