A cargo plane turned into a fireball in Kentucky. The engine tore off mid-air. People are dead. Now, UK aviation regulators are moving. Fast.
This is the kind of accident that terrifies Whitehall. A routine cargo flight from Nashville to Fort Lauderdale. Then, bang. The left engine shears away. The aircraft becomes a missile. It plummets into a field. No survivors.
Downing Street was briefed within hours. The Prime Minister's office is jumpy. Any aviation disaster has knock-on effects. British airports handle tonnes of cargo freight. Think Amazon. Think DHL. Think the parcels on your doorstep.
So the Civil Aviation Authority has acted. Strict new inspection rules. For cargo planes. Especially older models. The exact aircraft type? A Boeing 767. Workhorse of the skies. But age matters. Vibration matters. Metal fatigue is a silent killer.
Industry sources tell me the CAA is looking at 'repeat occurrences.' This isn't just one freak accident. There have been other engine failures. Not as deadly. But a pattern. And the Treasury is watching. Tighter rules mean grounded planes. Delays. Costs. But the alternative is unthinkable.
Westminster reaction is predictable. The Transport Select Committee will demand a hearing. Labour MPs will accuse the government of being 'asleep at the wheel.' The usual theatre. But the real impact? Check your insurance premiums. Cargo insurance is about to spike.
One source close to the CAA told me: 'We are not waiting for the NTSB report. We know enough. Metal fatigue. Poor maintenance records. This is a systemic risk.'
The Americans will do their own probe. But the UK cannot afford to be seen as lax. Brexit meant divergence from EU rules. Some said that would lower standards. The CAA is desperate to prove otherwise.
Remember the Boeing 737 MAX disasters? That nearly sank a company. The political fallout was immense. The CAA wants to avoid a repeat. So they are getting out in front.
What does this mean for passengers? Very little. Passenger jets have different checks. But cargo planes keep your online orders flowing. If they are grounded, your next-day delivery might be two days.
For the aviation lobby, this is a nightmare. They hate new regulations. They will fight. Quietly. In Whitehall corridors. But the mood in Number 10 is one of caution. No one wants a dead child's name associated with 'deregulation.'
Watch this space. There will be more leaks. More briefings. The game is on.
