HOW SAFE IS AIR TRAVEL AT HOME AND ABROAD

Some critics of the U.S. airline industry contend that the number and severity of airline accidents are caused largely by a deterioration in airline industry safety standards and are only harbingers of more tragedies to come. This concern is supported by an increasing number of reports of near mid-air collisions, errors by overworked air-traffic controllers, and large fines levied against airlines for maintenance violations and falsification of maintenance records. Some critics contend that airline deregulation is the cause. But, compared to the safety of international aviation, however, the U.S. has fared well. Foreign airlines, once confined to regional service, have expanded their operations to serve more destinations, including an increasing number of U.S. cities. In September 1994, FAA, in the most dramatic expression of concern to date, banned the flights of airlines from several developing countries into the U.S.