Strong argument for cockpit video recording, says IATA chief in wake of Air India crash report

The Star

16-07-2025

SINGAPORE: There is a strong argument to be made for video recorders to be installed in aircraft cockpits to aid in accident investigations, said International Air Transport Association chief Willie Walsh in his first comments about an interim report on the Air India crash in June that killed 260 people.
'Based on what little we know now, it's quite possible that a video recording, in addition to the voice recording, would significantly assist the investigators,' said Walsh on July 16 in an interview with Singapore media.
Pilot unions have long resisted calls for cockpit video recording, citing concerns over privacy and potential misuse. The International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations, for instance, said it was sceptical that confidentiality of such recordings could ever be fully guaranteed, according to a July 16 report by Reuters.
Walsh, a former pilot turned airline chief executive, said he can understand the reluctance among flight crew to have video cameras installed in the cockpit.
But the head of Iata, a global airline trade body representing some 350 carriers, emphasised the need for air accident investigations to be conducted fully and properly.
'Our industry has always been very open in sharing information,' he added.
Walsh also called on governments to publish accident reports in a timely manner in line with international obligations.
'I think we would all benefit from the publication of these reports so that we can assess them and learn from any issues that are relevant to the rest of the industry,' he said.
The debate on whether video cameras should be installed in airplane cockpits was reignited after the release of the preliminary report on the ill-fated Air India Flight AI171 on July 11.
The report by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) raised questions about the movement of the fuel control switches on the Boeing 787 jet, which were toggled to the cutoff position one after the other seconds after take-off, shutting down both of the plane's engines.
The AAIB shared a snippet from the cockpit voice recording, noting that one of the pilots was heard asking the other why he had cut off fuel to the engines. The other pilot responded that he did not do so. The report did not say how or why the fuel switches were moved.
The AAIB report also flagged a 2018 advisory from the US Federal Aviation Administration, which recommended the inspection of the locking feature of fuel switches of several Boeing models.
This prompted airlines around the world, including national carrier Singapore Airlines and its budget arm Scoot, to carry out precautionary checks in the days after the report's release.
Walsh commended the AAIB for the release of its interim report, which he said contained more information about the crash than most people were expecting.
He said it was sensible for airlines to check the fuel switches on their Boeing aircraft despite there being no formal recommendation from the US aircraft maker to do so.
Switching gears, the Iata chief also addressed questions about the impact of trade tariffs, which he said may lead to airlines being reluctant to take delivery of new aircraft, given the uncertainty over how this will affect the cost of planes
'We'll wait and see... It'll impact all aspects of the aerospace industry and have an impact on most, if not all, airlines as well,' he added.
Walsh was in Singapore to attend a series of high-level aviation meetings held in the city-state over the week.
He was also taken on a visit to the development site of the upcoming Terminal 5 (T5), which will take Changi Airport's handling capacity to 140 million passengers yearly, up from 90 million today, when it opens in the mid-2030s.
Walsh said he was impressed by the design and thinking behind the future mega-terminal, noting the investments being made in innovation and technology, and the planning that has been done to ensure minimal connection times for passengers.
'Some of the work that I see Changi undertaking... ultimately will benefit everybody in the industry in the areas of automation and AI (artificial intelligence),' he added.
Walsh said the team at Changi Airport has a 'laser focus' on the cost of the T5 development, revealing that the multi-billion dollar project is 'significantly under budget'.
'Critically, everything they're doing is to ensure that they do it in a cost-effective manner, so that the charges that airlines and ultimately the passenger faces are being controlled,' he said.
Rising fees at Changi Airport have been a bugbear among airlines here, and it was cited as a factor behind the demise of low-cost carrier Jetstar Asia.
Asked if there is a place for budget carriers at Changi and other high-cost airports, Walsh said he does not agree that the low-cost airline model is dead, but there are certain airports where it may not make sense.
He cited London's Heathrow Airport as one example, noting the cost of operations and lack of access to take-off and landing slots there.
Walsh said the fact that some airlines are categorised as budget or low-cost does not automatically ensure their financial success. 'We are a very competitive industry,' he added. - The Straits Times/ANN