Concerns have been raised about the readiness of airlines bringing back aircraft and pilots that had been taken out of service during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Regulators and insurers say pilots may be rusty and aircraft may need additional maintenance, including cleaning insect nests out of vital sensors.
The warning comes after international aviation body Iata reported an increase in the number of ‘unstabilised approaches’ that can lead to hard landings, runway overshoots or even crashes.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has reported a surge in the number of reports of unreliable airspeed and altitude readings during the first flight after a plane leaves storage.
Gary Moran, head of Asia aviation at insurance broker Aon, told the BBC: “We’ve got people returning to work who are quite rusty, which is a big issue.”
And Greg Waldron, Asia managing editor of aviation magazine FlightGlobal, said: “Every aircraft is going to have a specific set of instructions for maintenance, but it has never been done on this scale before.”
Kate Seaton, of law firm HFW, told Reuters that crew must be aware of potential defects that have been missed after aircraft has been grounded.
“We are in new territory – the industry must take steps to mitigate the risks but need to be prepared for the unexpected,” she said.
Australian regulators are said to have beefed up inspections as aircraft re-enter service and the International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations has advised pilots to be “honest” about their skills.
The association has said pilots may have to turn down offers of shorter approaches to airports as they build back their proficiency and experience.