Airplane safety becomes a hot topic after the incident that occurred last night on the Cagliari-Linate flight .
The Region asks ENAC for checks, the opposition also asks for clarifications and invites the majority to check the condition of the vehicles before proceeding with the extension of the service already announced by the Transport Councillor Barbara Manca.
But let's start with the facts.
Yesterday, on the 7:50 PM Aeroitalia flight from Cagliari to Linate, which took off shortly after 8:15 PM, a pressurization problem occurred just after flying over Gallura, about twenty minutes after departure, making it necessary to descend from 34,000 to 11,000 feet. The plane remained at low altitude for about forty minutes, the emergency signal appeared and oxygen masks were released for the passengers on board. Moments of terror, until the landing operations which concluded regularly shortly before 9:30 PM .
A "precautionary maneuver" following the report of a "possible pressurization problem", Aeroitalia specified in the morning , which released a note. "In accordance with the expected procedures, the oxygen mask release system in the cabin was automatically activated", the company specified. "The maneuver was conducted in full compliance with safety protocols, without any emergency situation occurring. No alarm was issued and the safety of passengers and crew was never compromised. The flight landed regularly and in complete safety at Milan Linate airport" .
What happened has also put the spotlight on the safety of connections, always the subject of controversy for the quality of the service.
The regional transport department has requested immediate clarification from ENAC, the National Civil Aviation Authority. "Even though the Region is not competent to certify the suitability of aircraft - declared councilor Barbara Manca - we felt it was our duty to take immediate action and request all the necessary investigations . The safety of Sardinians flying to and from the island is an absolute priority".
This week, the meeting with ENAC will be held to obtain a detailed technical report on what happened. If necessary, Aeroitalia will also be called in. "We cannot afford to lapse in attention," added Manca, "especially in an island context like ours, where air transport is an essential public service. It is our duty to guarantee high safety standards and reassure Sardinian citizens who rely on flying every day for work, health or necessity ."
The opposition presses on. Forza Italia with Ivan Piras asks the Council for " punctual and rigorous checks on the conditions of the fleet before proceeding with the extension of continuous flights ". For Piras, what happened cannot be filed away as a simple anomaly: "It is essential to clarify every detail to guarantee the safety of passengers and to safeguard the image of Sardinia, which risks being compromised by episodes of this type".
Corrado Meloni, regional councilor of FdI, speaks of a "disturbing" episode . "It is not just about the efficiency of the connections, but about the safety of the passengers. So far, there have been numerous complaints about the quality of the service offered in the Territorial Continuity, therefore the regional Councilor for Transport did well to intervene promptly to ask for clarifications and it is appropriate that the Region examines the details in depth so that the technical suitability of the planes is also certain ", Meloni highlights, underlining that the Region's responsibility is also to "monitor compliance with safety standards in connections to and from Sardinia".
The FdI representative also asks Councilor Manca to "promptly inform on the outcomes of the meetings she is planning and on the initiatives that the Region intends to undertake with respect to the company."
(Unioneonline/L)