§ Mr. Ken HargreavesTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action has been taken to improve passenger safety arising out of the lessons learned during the course of the Manchester aircraft accident investigation.
§ Mr. Peter BottomleyThe CAA has in fact already actioned many of the AAIB's recommendations. In the weeks and months following the accident changes were made to the maintenance procedures for the Pratt and Whitney JT8D engines fitted to this aircraft, and to methods of assessing the effect of repair schemes based on operators' fleet experience with this engine.
Other significant recommendations which have been acted upon include amendments to cabin materials certification to limit smoke and toxic gas emission in the event of fires.
In consultation with the industry, the authority has formulated requirements for the provision of smoke hoods and masks for passenger protection during fires, issuing a specification for passenger protection breathing equipment-smoke hoods, which defines both equipment performance and installation requirements. I understand that, at this stage, the CAA will not be making the provision of passenger smoke hoods mandatory.
The CAA has, in response to a safety recommendation, initiated a comprehensive research programme to investigate the introduction on civil aircraft of cabin water spray systems.