Illustrative image of an airplane of the HiSky company. Credit: Oliver Baumgart / imago stock&people / Profimedia
The Association of Romanian Airlines, where HiSky, but also Tarom, and other companies are members, said in a statement: "We consider it unacceptable for a representative of the Government to post "breaking news" type messages in which to list the number of ambulances and intensive care units prepared, suggesting the imminence of a disaster."
A HiSky company plane with 186 people on board, which had taken off on Sunday on a flight on the Bucharest-Hurghada route, returned urgently to "Henri Coandă" International Airport after the pilot "signaled the activation of a pressurization sensor in the cabin", according to the press release sent by the airport representatives.
While the plane was in the air and about to return to Otopeni, the Minister of Health announced that he had "summoned a crisis cell at the Ministry of Health with the main emergency hospitals in Bucharest", "to prevent a critical situation and to ensure, if the situation requires it, a quick and efficient coordination". In the post, Alexandru Rogobete nominated the Ambulance and 6 hospitals in Bucharest.
The Carpathia Association says that although it was a "minor technical incident" and the decision to return to Otopeni was "a standard safety procedure", the Health Minister was posting messages that suggested "imminence of disaster".
"Aviation is not cancan. Professionalism means procedures, not induced panic," said the organization, whose members include Romanian airlines such as TAROM, AnimaWings, DAN AIR, HelloJets, FLY LILI, Legend Airlines and Star East Airlines, in a Facebook post on Sunday evening.
"Such situations are quite common and perfectly manageable in the global aviation industry"
According to the association, the decision to return to Otopeni Airport was taken "as a result of the activation of a cabin pressurization sensor", being "a standard safety procedure, «Safety First», which any responsible commander follows according to the manufacturer's manuals".
"Such situations are quite common and perfectly manageable in the global aviation industry. Only in recent years, in Romania we have witnessed at least 3-4 similar incidents, especially with Boeing 737 type aircraft that reported erroneous indications of non-pressurization in the hold, all of which were managed without any risk for passengers", explained the Carpathia Association.
The organization accused Alexandru Rogobete of having an approach that "induces unjustified panic among the families of the 180 passengers", "baselessly denigrates Romanian air operators, companies that generate hundreds of millions of euros in the economy and operate at the highest EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) standards", and erodes trust in civil aviation, a field where safety is measured in mathematical procedures, not in the number of traffic lights posted on Facebook".
"We respectfully request the Ministry of Health and other institutions without expertise in aviation to leave technical communication to specialists from the Ministry of Transport and Investments, the Romanian Civil Aeronautical Authority, ROMATSA, or relevant entities," the organization also stated.
The Carpathia Association urged the minister "to stop following the alarmist suggestions coming from the entourage looking for cancan and to treat aviation with the respect and sobriety that this sector requires".
