The FAA considered an order that airlines must make their safety records public. This way the public may judge each individual carrier. However, the airlines opposed the idea because they felt that the public might misinterpret the safety records due to their lack of knowledge on how safety ratings are documented. Air carriers volunteer safety records, yet some feel that if this information were used for marketing, airlines would be less forthcoming with information. Aviation Attorney Paul Hedlund, of Baum Hedlund, felt that with the role change of the FAA to safety only, along with stricter penalties for non-compliance, air carriers should divulge their safety violations.
Air Date: 7-22-1996
