Business aviation is by far the safest segment of general aviation but that doesn’t mean it can’t be better. And there’s also a shift in personnel and operations on the horizon that might challenge that claim, though not necessarily. At a seminar at EBACE 2008 in Geneva on Wednesday, Don Spruston, Director General of the International Business Aviation Council, told delegates that gross navigation errors, particularly over the ocean, and runway incursions continue to be major issues for business aviation. “More than 50 percent of business aviation accidents are runway accidents,” Spruston told a rather small crowd at the safety forum. He also said in a podcast interview that the industry is grappling with a pilot shortage that might have safety implications.
Spruston said there will be a major meeting of industry officials next week to discuss the implications of a pilot shortage that has ravaged regional airlines in some parts of the world, caused a severe shortage of instructors in some areas and is now being felt in business aviation. He said the impact of younger, less-experienced pilots in the normally top-tier positions in business jets is unknown and will be thoroughly discussed.
