§ Mr. RedmondTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will introduce legislation as a matter of urgency to ensure that all aircraft equipped to carry fare paying passengers are fitted with flight data recorders irrespective of the number of fare-paying passengers; and if he will make a statement. [27401]
§ Mr. NorrisThe joint aviation authorities are responsible for setting the criteria for the fitting of flight data recorders. The joint aviation requirement on commercial air transportation adopted on 1 April specifies that all new aircraft with more than nine passenger seats be equipped with flight data recorders. This is in line with existing United Kingdom legislation.
The Civil Aviation Authority does not believe that the fitting of flight data recorders to smaller aircraft would increase aviation safety in the UK.