94. Aviation in the United Kingdom has an excellent safety record, one which does not appear to have been diminished by deregulation. That is not to say that threats to safety standards do not exist. Deregulation has introduced a number of changes to the industry, not least considerable growth, with which the regulatory regime operated by the Safety Regulation Group must keep track. The Group must also deal with the constraints imposed by its membership of JAA, and soon the EASA. To do its job thoroughly it must be properly resourced, and we look to Government to ensure that it is. There are on-going difficulties within National Air Traffic Services, and we were particularly concerned by reports of increased numbers of overloads of air traffic controllers. The aviation industry, as well as the General Aviation sector, faces a number of challenges, such as the projected shortage of pilots, and of aircraft maintenance engineers, which threaten safety standards. Furthermore, recent major accidents, such as TWA 800, and the Swissair crash, as well as the rudder problem on the Boeing 737, remain largely unsolved.

95. In these circumstances we were surprised by the attitude of a number of the witnesses to our inquiry, particularly the airlines and their representatives. Some seemed extraordinarily complacent about safety in the British aviation industry, and were content only to emphasise the industry's past record. That attitude is flawed. It is not acceptable to wait until the safety standards of aviation decline before changes are made: instead all involved should constantly try to deal with potential problems before safety standards are put at risk.

96. Boeing told us that "the United Kingdom is one of the safest countries in the world [in terms of aviation safety] and it is safe because you have developed an extremely good working together atmosphere in this country, working together between the regulatory authorities, the airlines, the manufacturers, the pilots' unions, the flight attendants, the mechanics, everybody".[253] We commend all involved for their spirit of co-operation, but we detected signs in the evidence given to us that co-operation might lead to cosiness. Most of our witnesses seemed unable or unwilling to criticise others in the aviation sphere, other than in the most general terms. All involved in aviation should remember that openness and criticism aid safety, and that the maintenance of safety standards is the most important factor in building a successful aviation industry. We recommend that the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions maintain a careful eye on the relationship between the Safety Regulation Group and the industry it regulates, and act firmly to ensure that the Regulation Group remains independent and critical of the industry. As we have said, splitting the Safety Regulation Group from the Economic Regulation Group, through the creation of an independent Transport Safety Authority, would help to ensure that the safety regulator maintained an appropriate distance from the industry.

97. Safety cannot be addressed in a vacuum. Some of the difficulties we have discussed in this Report, such as the shortage of pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers, are not simple matters which can be resolved by the Safety Regulation Group alone. Above all, the dramatic growth of the aviation industry in recent years, partly as a result of deregulation, has resulted in greater overcrowding in the airspace of the southeast of England, and at the airports in that area. There are strong arguments on safety grounds in favour of increasing runway capacity. Such matters can only be dealt with in the context of an overall aviation policy, and we look forward to the publication of the Government's aviation daughter document.