Lata chief makes case for cockpit video recording after Air India crash report

There is a strong argument to be made for video recorders to be installed in aircraft cockpits to aid in accident investigations, said International Air Transport Association (Iata) chief Willie Walsh in his first comments about an interim report on the Air India crash in June that killed 260 people.

- Kok Yufeng

"Based on what little we know now, it's quite possible that a video recording, in addition to the voice recording, would significantly assist the investigators," said Mr Walsh on July 16 in an interview with Singapore media.

Pilot unions have long resisted calls for cockpit video recording, citing concerns over privacy and potential misuse. The International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations, for instance, said it was sceptical that confidentiality of such recordings could ever be fully guaranteed, according to a July 16 report by Reuters.

Mr Walsh, a former pilot turned airline chief executive, said he can understand the reluctance among flight crew to have video cameras installed in the cockpit.

But the head of Iata, a global airline trade body representing some 350 carriers, emphasised the need for air accident investigations to be conducted fully and properly.

"Our industry has always been very open in sharing information," he added.

Mr Walsh also called on governments to publish accident reports in a timely manner in line with international obligations.

"I think we would all benefit from the publication of these reports so that we can assess them and learn from any issues that are relevant to the rest of the industry," he said.