Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, December 25, 1994 TAG: 9412290018
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: F1 EDITION: HOLIDAY
SOURCE: JERRY ACKERMAN AND ALEX PHAM BOSTON GLOBE
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
This year has been a disaster.
So far in 1994 commercial airline accidents have killed 257 people - including 215 in a succession of accidents this fall in Pennsylvania, Indiana and North Carolina.
The accidents, coupled with lingering concerns about USAir's safety record - the Pittsburgh crash that killed 132 on Sept. 8 was the carrier's second this year - has pushed fears about air safety high in the news during the holiday travel season.
The federal government's response: Last week it ordered a safety audit of every airline. It also speeded up the introduction of stricter safety rules for commuter planes, which have seen a surge in passengers in the past 15 years as airlines assigned these smaller turboprop craft to the ``spokes'' that link small cities with central ``hub'' airports.
Airlines for the most part are following the strategy that has carried them through similar turbulence in the past; that is, lay low and repeat the industry mantra: Flying is the safest form of travel.
And in the end, industry executives and analysts say, the signs of panic will subside and fliers will continue to board planes by the millions.
``We have gone through a long period until this year without fatalities,'' said Daniel Kasper, an adviser to the Clinton administration on airline issues and an analyst with Coopers & Lybrand in Boston. ``When you think of the number of flights that have taken place until this, it is astounding.''
Along with industry insiders, veteran business travelers tend to shrug their shoulders, swallow hard, perhaps say a prayer and fly on.
Indeed, statistics collected by the National Safety Council between 1980 and 1992 show flying aboard scheduled airliners is between 10 and 300 times safer than riding in an automobile.
But there are plenty of jittery passengers, especially among leisure travelers who usually fly only for vacations. ``We're seeing these people trying to stay away from commuter flights in general,'' said Jill Krause, an agent at Carroll Travel Bureau in Springfield, Mass.
Frank Small, an electrical engineer from North Andover, Mass., on his way from Boston to Chicago, said he is confident about larger planes but thinks twice before boarding a propeller aircraft. ``I'd rather drive 100 miles than go on a small prop plane.''
Travel agents say they don't push clients to act against their convictions. ``Where this is such a hot potato we try to give them exactly what they want,'' said Tony Salerno, vice president of U.S. Travel World in Somerville, Mass., which books large numbers of passengers to small-city sports events.
``If they are uncertain, we recommend going to a larger city and taking out a car,'' Salerno said.
Airlines faced with calming nervous passengers tend toward detachment when discussing commuter flights. Delta Air Lines, which uses no propeller planes, doesn't discuss connecting commuter flights with its passengers other than to describe the airplane. ``If [passengers] have some concerns and want to discuss them further we refer them to the other carrier,'' a spokeswoman said.
The fact that commuter plane accidents have come to the fore reflects airlines' growing use of smaller planes in their ``hub-and-spoke'' systems. The turboprop craft, which usually seat no more than 70 passengers, are ideal for connecting low-volume cities such as Bangor, Maine, with large hubs such as Boston.
``The airlines have been tailoring their equipment to the route,'' said Steven Morrison, economics professor and airlines specialist at Northeastern University in Boston.
Analysts say airlines that own their commuter planes - rather than contract this service out - will see some revenue loss over the next few weeks. Schedule cutbacks on commuter routes also will continue as carriers juggle their remaining planes to compensate for the Federal Aviation Administration's restriction on French-built ATR aircraft.
Morrison also warns that continued bad news anywhere in the industry could further weaken already troubled carriers such as USAir and Trans World Airlines.
In the long run, though, most specialists see little long-term damage to the industry. Travelers see little alternative and flying still is seen as relatively safe.
``The effect lasts three or four days in terms of reduced passenger volume,'' said Julius Maltudis, an airline analyst with Salomon Brothers. ``The impact on airlines is minor.''
Keywords:
FATALITY
by CNB