The BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig explosion, the Alaska Airlines flight 261 crash and the 2008 financial crisis are at first glance three unrelated tragic events. Yet, they do have one thing in common – these are telling examples of what can happen if management and oversight authorities are not up to the task of maintaining safety.

Aviation, as a safety critical industry, requires great attention to how rules are developed and enforced. As part of ECA’s “Flight Plan to Safety”, civil aviation legislation and oversight are the topic of the second one in a series of publications identifying the key challenges to commercial air transport.