‘Airlines cannot put profit before safety’

AIRLINES are taking huge risks if they put financial profit before the safety of their passengers by pushing for a sudden return to the skies, a leading airline owner warned yesterday.

Speaking after another day of torment for the airline industry, CityJet chief executive Geoffrey O’Byrne-White warned against other firms attempting to rush back to scheduled flights.

The airline owner, who is also a qualified pilot, claimed major firms are pressuring industry regulators, ignoring technical experts, and side-stepping scientific evidence in their attempt to return to normality.