Asiana - Vil Sør Koreanske selskaper lykkes med tiltaket?

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Asiana Seeks to Boost Safety Record with Foreign Hire


Akiyoshi Yamamura, Asiana Airlines new chief safety and security manager, speaks at a news conference in Seoul this week.

Asiana Airlines Inc. is following a familiar plot - hiring a foreigner to improve its safety record.

Asiana has hired Akiyoshi Yamamura, a veteran Japanese pilot and safety expert, as its chief safety and security manager. Mr. Yamamura's appointment, the airline's first foreign hire for the job in its 25-year history, comes at a time when the company is striving to improve its image following the crash of an Asiana Airlines' flight in San Francisco on July 6.

Asiana is not the first Korean airline to look to an outsider to boost its safety record.

Back in 2000, the country's other major carrier, Korean Air Lines Co., employed a U.S. national and retired Delta Airlines executive to bolster its safety and pilot training following three fatal crashes from 1997 through 1999. David Greenberg, too, was the first foreigner hired by Korean Air to take charge of the airline's aviation safety.

A Korean Air, Boeing 747 flight struck a hilltop in Guam in August 1997, killing 228 of the 254 people aboard. This was followed by two Korean Air cargo airplane crashes in April and December 1999 that killed three and four people, respectively.

Korean Air officials have said the company has had a "stellar" safety record after the company brought in outside pilots and managers and revamped its safety and training.

The role of Mr. Yamamura as Asiana's new senior executive vice president is somewhat different. He is not a pilot trainer but in charge of managing and maintaining Asiana's aviation safety standards.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Mr. Yamamura refused to associate his appointment with Asiana's San Francisco accident, but said it is a result of Asiana's decision to strengthen its aviation-related safety management system.

"I will apply the knowhow I have acquired during my career in aviation safety...Our team is committed to making a thorough and detailed review of processes before implementing a more complete and perfect safety plan," Mr. Yamamura told reporters. He joined Asiana on Monday.

Before joining the Korean airline, Mr. Yamamura spent more than 40 years at Japan's All Nippon Airways Co. as a pilot, safety officer and auditor. He has also worked as a safety inspector at the International Air Transport Association.

Asiana officials said they expect Mr. Yamamura's extensive experience in aviation safety to boost the company's safety and security records-an area where the airline has a lot of catching up to do after the San Francisco accident.

Three passengers were killed in the crash and its aftermath, and more than 180 passengers were injured when the Boeing 777 jet struck a seawall and slammed into a runway while trying to land at San Francisco International Airport. The accident occurred after two Asiana pilots had to use a visual approach because the airport's landing guidance system, which helps line up the correct path to the runway, was closed for construction.

The accident raised broad concerns about the heavy reliance of pilots on automated systems and their lack of manual flying skills. Former Asiana pilots and trainers have said the company's pilots are well trained on both automatic systems and manual flying.

Mr. Yamamura will attend the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board's investigative hearing on the San Francisco accident next week in Washington as an observer.