Chennai:Following the disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 last month, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has come up with new recommendation on extending the life of underwater locator beacons that help searchers find wreckage. ICAO has issued new standards requiring signals from underwater locator beacons on all airlines to last at least 90 days instead of the current 30.
ICAO council president Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu on Monday said that the agency’s Flight Recorder Panel continues to review new means to expedite the location of accident sites that includes deployable flight recorders and the triggered transmission of flight data. He added that the new standards would come to force in 2018.
Retired pilot and aviation expert Capt G. S. Ganesan said that technological advancement is growing and there are a lot of methods to make the identification possible. “There will be a small transmitter in all aircraft that can emit signals when it touches salt water and by extending its battery life, it would help in locating the plane even after a long search,” he added.
ICAO president Aliu added that the UN agency would also review on aviation security, travel documents and identity management, as well as the requirements for the transport of lithium batteries at a special meeting of state and industry experts on the global tracking of airline flights to be held on May 12 and 13.
Noting that ICAO would be providing technical assistance to Malaysia in the course of its ongoing investigation, Aliu said that, “No matter how safe or secure we make the air transport network, these types of events remind our entire sector that no effort is ever enough, no solution ever a reason to stop seeking further improvement.”
