Pilots demand security measures | Do you worry …

Aerolineas Argentinas currently has five models of Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, the same one that crashed in Ethiopia on Sunday and killed 157 people. This is not the first fatal accident that features this model; Last October, a Lion Air competitor crashed a few minutes after taking off in Jakarta, Indonesia, and the 189 people aboard died. The concern over this model was extended yesterday when the Chinese aeronautical authorities suspended its use preemptively. "The situation is serious, we will not let you fly until your security is guaranteed," said the Air Line Pilots Association (APLA), which sent a letter to Aerolíneas Argentinas and to the airline. National Civil Aviation Administration (ANAC) requesting an urgent response.

The similarities between the two accidents occurring in less than six months triggered an alarm signal in some countries. After the tragedy yesterday, Ethiopian Airlines confirmed that "although not knowing the cause of the accident", it was decided to remove from circulation the entire fleet of MAX 8 traffic. The Indonesian company had already done so. The Civil Aviation Administration of China also joined the project in order to suspend the flights of these aircraft until "confirms the relevant measures to ensure the safety of flights ".

Although they preferred not to make statements from Argentina Airlines, it was preferable that the company be convened at an ad hoc meeting of leaders to badyze the specific situation of these aircraft, but only to review the manuals and technical specifications. They would wait for the US Federal Aviation Administration to make a decision. For the company, it is "premature" to draw conclusions.

The pilots, on the other hand, are very worried. "The situation is more serious than it seems because the pilots do not have information from the manufacturer, they tell us to fly it autopilot, but when the failure occurs, you can not fly automatically, "said Pablo Biró, secretary general of the APLA. The leader confirmed to PáginaI12 that yesterday morning they had sent a letter to the authorities of Aerolineas Argentinas and ANAC asking for an urgent response on the safety of these aircraft.

"They tell us what steps they will take urgently because they are not obliged to take union action to ensure the safety of pilots and pbadengers," he said. Biró, adding that many companies from different parts of the world made the decision to leave the ground fleet until the results of the tests.

Biró criticized the fact that the resolution of the US government is expected to make a decision. "As a country, we have the autonomy to guarantee aviation safety," said the leader.

Biró pointed out that when there was suspicion of "multiple failure of the system with total loss of control of the aircraft", the authorities had to take emergency safety measures pending final reports. on accidents. "If the airlines do not guarantee safety, the pilots will not fly them, there has to be a very thorough badysis with the fleet ashore preventively," he said.

On Sunday, Ethiopian Airlines' Boeing 737 MAX 8 lost contact with the control six minutes after taking off and crashed near the town of Tulu Fara.