10 October 2008

Did laptops cause Qantas flight scare?

Investigations probing the Qantas inflight drama on Tuesday say it is too early to blame passenger laptop computers for causing one of its jets to plummet on a flight from Singapore to Perth.

The Airbus A330-300, with 303 passengers and a crew of 10, experienced what the airline described as a "sudden change in altitude" which resulted in injuries to 74 people.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has said an "irregularity" in one of the plane's computers may have caused the dramatic altitude change that hurled passengers around the cabin.

Laptops could have interfered with the plane's on-board computer system, it has been reported.

But the bureau says it's too early to make that judgment.

Meanwhile, Qantas has offered passengers on the flight a $2000 voucher, and it will refund all tickets and pay medical expenses resulting from the incident.

The latest safety incident involving a Qantas aircraft follows a poll that indicates more than 60% of Australians believe the safety standards of Qantas have slipped.

UMR Omnibus said it surveyed 1,000 people on attitudes towards the national carrier.

The results, published on the UMR website, show 63% of Australians believe the airline's safety standards have become worse over the last few years.

But two in three Australians still believe Qantas is a safe airline to fly with.

The August poll was carried out after two incidents involving Qantas in the previous month.

An exploding oxygen bottle punched a huge hole in the side of a Qantas Boeing 747-400, forcing an emergency landing in the Philippines, while a Qantas Boeing 737-800 returned to Adelaide after a landing gear door failed to retract.

By Ian Jarrett, Travelmole Asia