Context
The MP is concerned about air safety and the need for dialogue between the government and major aerospace companies to address potential issues in manufacturing.
Question
If he will have discussions with (a) Airbus and (b) Boeing on air safety. The Minister might know that I am the chair of a manufacturing group for Members of Parliament. Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Boeing are amazing manufacturers at the heart of our manufacturing economy, but does he agree that we must sort out the problems that seem to have occurred in the manufacture of Boeing's 737 MAX? Does he agree that the faster our regulators work with American regulators to sort this out, the better for British jobs and British innovation?
Answer from Anthony Browne
Both I and departmental officials engage proactively with industry, including Boeing, Airbus and other manufacturers, on aviation safety. The Civil Aviation Authority also engages regularly across the industry. We have some of the safest skies in the world with a fatal accident rate of UK airlines among the lowest in Europe and the world. There has been no single fatal accident involving commercial passenger airplanes for over 29 years. I agree that they are amazing companies with huge operations in the UK and enviable safety records. Not one of the 171 Boeing 737 MAX 9s operating globally operates in the UK or from the UK, so there was no need to ground them. The Department for Transport liaises closely with American authorities. The CAA follows very closely the work of the US Federal Aviation Administration to ensure that safety standards remain as high as possible.
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