The FAA responded in a letter two days after the UPS accident in Dubai (Coincidental), apparantly stating it would be too expensive!
Fire suppression in freighters is only too expensive because the money isn’t there. Obvious? I believe there’s a simple and painless solution to this.
At this very moment there are millions of individual packages in the air. Let’s say that all freight companies charge an extra 50 cents per package, irrespective of size or weight. This money, which would very soon add up to $millions, goes to a central fund to pay for R & D on the best suppression systems. Once these are proven the constant flow of money goes to pay for installations.
The whole thing could be kicked off very quickly and is easily administered. Let’s say it starts in January. During that month air-freight company ABC ships 5 million packages – the figures are easily seen from the records – then ABC owes the fund $2.5M less a tiny percentage for administration.
Call it the Air Freight Fire Fighting Fund and no one would mind the extra 50 cents.
Anyone?
PS. By sheer coincidence, and for the first time in months, a FedEx van has just pulled up outside my window. Karma?