Over 20% of 2011 global air crash death toll Russian - Public Chamber member
MOSCOW. May 17 (Interfax-AVN) - Airplane crash fatalities in Russia accounted for more than one-fifth of all those killed in air crashes across the world last year, a senior member of the Russian Public Chamber said on Thursday, adding that Russia's passenger air traffic makes up just 1.7% of the global level.
"The year 2011 was recorded in the world as the safest year in civil aviation. Of the 506 people who were killed worldwide, 119 were killed in Russia. At the same time, Russia's share is a mere 1.7% of the world's total volume of air transportation," Alexander Kanshin told Interfax-AVN after a hearing in the Public Chamber.
Kanshin heads the Chamber's commission on national security and on social and economic problems of military personnel, their families and armed forces veterans. He is also chairman of the Association of Unions of Reserve Officers of the Armed Forces (MEGAPIR).
Oleg Prikhodko, vice president of the Russian trade union of aircraft personnel, said North American and Australian airlines, which handle 40% of the world's passenger air traffic, ended last year without crashes. However, Russia annually records crashes.
Prikhodko argued that pilots get too tired and that his is one of the causes of accidents. "In leading global airlines there are 600 to 700 flight hours per pilot per year while in Russia 900 hours is the minimum," he said. "And now there plans to reduce their vacations as well."