Airlines warned over safety as jets return from pandemic storage

Regulators, insurers and experts are warning airlines to take extra care when reactivating planes left in extended storage during the COVID-19 pandemic, citing potential pilot rustiness, maintenance errors and even insect nests blocking key sensors. The unprecedented number of aircraft grounded as coronavirus lockdowns blocked air travel - at one point reaching two-thirds of the global fleet - has created a spike in the number of reported problems as airlines return them to service. The number of “unstabilised” or poorly handled approaches has risen sharply this year, according to the IATA. Such mishaps can result in hard landings, runway overshoots or even crashes. Worried by IATA’s data, insurers are questioning airlines about whether they are doing extra pilot training to focus on landings, said Gary Moran, head of Asia aviation at insurance broker Aon PLC. “They want to know about the circumstances of the training,” he said. Approaches and landings place significant demands on crew for which training and regular experience are seen as vital. According to aircraft maker Airbus, the largest category of fatal accidents can be traced back to the approach to an airport, while the largest number of non-fatal accidents happen during landing.<br/>