Lessons From Sao Paulo

July 19, 2007 — -- Let's get the bottom line to the top: You can't do commercial aviation on the cheap without killing people.

While the tragedy in Brazil this week is neither an indictment of the airline involved (TAM), nor Brazil itself, it is further, tragic proof that the goal of safety in commercial aviation and the goal of frugality in government spending are diametrically opposed.

In the case of the horrific accident in Sao Paulo and the deaths of just under 200 people, there will be much for the glaring light of hindsight to illuminate. Brazil has clearly been dragging its feet on modernization of its air traffic control system, airports, runways and safety infrastructure despite a recent explosion in air travel.

But whatever individual failures are revealed by the subsequent investigations, what's also sadly true is how the growing evidence of major aviation safety problems have been ignored, denied or discounted.

Over the past several years, a steady host of complaints from the front lines of Brazilian aviation (air traffic controllers, pilots, airport employees, etc.) that major government-financed improvements were needed went unheeded.

Why? Because Brazil, like so many nations, failed to grasp two key truths: That you can't grow a large, safe national aviation system from a small one without massive spending on airports and the safety infrastructure; and second, that the responsibility for funding that infrastructure falls on the government, which, of course, means the people as a whole.

Airliners need well-equipped airports. Unless those airports have what's necessary for safe airline operation (lengthy runways with grooved surfaces, adequate overruns, carefully planned approaches clear of towers and buildings, a clear system of ground markings, lighting, radio aids, etc. etc. etc.) safe daily operations aren't possible.

Brazil's leaders know this, by the way. They've helped nurture a major aircraft manufacturer named Embraer into a world standard producer of regional jets and other well-built products. They've simply been too slow to push up their own throttle.