The government in Ottawa has directed Air Canada and other Canadian airlines to follow a two-crew in the cockpit policy. Presumably, in a case where there are only two persons capable of flying the plane on board, the third person would be the from the complement of flight attendants and stewards. It is a reasonable order as far as it goes but it cannot make flying much safer than it is. The Germanwings case, if the version now current is found to be the truth, reveals how easy it is for anyone who has a position of trust to sabotage airline safety. Trust is essential where people are responsible for the safety of the public and it seems impossible to ensure absolute safety where it any staff member can betray it.
