BERLIN, Oct. 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- For Aviation 2019 has been a tragic year with the loss of hundreds of lives. It is also tragic that following the Boeing 737-max accidents, serious questions have been raised regarding the relationship between regulators and those they regulate.

At this year's Annual Congress Maintenance Engineers and Technicians, from four-continents, will discuss the serious concerns that regulators have become far too close to those they regulate.

Items from this year's agenda will also cover:

• Regulatory undermining of safety critical certificate of Release to Service
• European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) legalising the non-reporting of defects for each flight
• EASA safety report and lack of action
• Future training regulations under pressure
• Fatigue – Staff working for weeks without rest periods
• Fraud in maintenance training and examinations

In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has a well-documented and turbulent history of being accused of becoming what is known as a "captured agency":

The systematic reliance on the FAA's Organization Designation Authority (ODA) where the FAA grants designee authority to organizations or companies has proven to have serious flaws.

Europe is also not immune to this problem. The behaviour of EASA makes it increasingly difficult to see any dividing line between the agency and the industry it is supposed to be regulating.

It's not only the aviation industry that will have to face the consequences of more fatal accidents and serious incidents, its unsuspecting passengers. If regulators continue to create a regulatory environment where airline management is allowed to follow a policy of profit at any price, there are unfortunately more B737-Max style accidents to come.

Self-regulation will not enhance safety but rather undermine it. Regulators are there to serve the public interest not the business interest. Regulators must ensure they do not rely on cosy relationships and return to the strict governance of those they are meant regulate.

AEI says "NO" to self-regulation and "NO" to profiteering.

For more information go to: www.airengineers.org

SOURCE Aircraft Engineers International (AEI)