That is an interesting answer as we sometimes forget that as passengers we simply accept the service in return for money and they play a passive part in the events that follow.
I have looked at a number of sources now, and even some of the Health & Safety sites seem to treat safety as the "bedrock" or "cornerstone" of the industry without elaborating further on what this really means.
Now I am not disputing whether safety should be the number 1 priority, but I am sure that many companies must have to make financial decisions based on achieving an acceptable level of safety (similar to ALARP).
For a low-cost airline, even the accusation of cutting corners on safety practices could be disasterous, but how is balance achieved when allocating resources ?
hugel