Apart from health and hygiene implications concern has been expressed as to the problems which could result from the popular rodent pastime of wire gnawing. April 1998 reports revealed that British Airwayscrews were being pressurized into reducing fuel loads to the absolute minimum requirements. Even the British Royal Family are potentially at risk. A Royal Airforce BAe 146, one of 3 reserved for Government and Royalty use recently made an emergency landing when 3 engines progressively failed soon after leaving its base at RAF Northolt, London's military airfield in the Heathrow Zone. The crew of the descending aircraft were forced to run the remaining suspect engine at full power to reach its emergency destination.
Preliminary investigations reveal faulty maintenance by recently appointed civilian contractors.
Southampton the UK airport which has seen controversialdevelopment and operational expansion in recent years recently experienced the ridiculous spectacle of a airline captain ordering 30 passengers todisembark and travel 25 miles by bus to Bournemouth Airport where they then reboarded the aircraft for a safe takeoff from one the longer runways available. Airport management confirm that this type of event is a regular occurrence. Media reports on 24.8.97. A similar situation with a Russian airliner in 1995 resulted in 75 deaths following a crash when a child on the flight deck switched off the Automatic pilot control. Recently announced cost cutting by British Airways includes reduced training for cabin crew - such action could result in less supervision of passengers and possible repeat of such incidents.