[1010RD]

Agreed. My understanding is that the airlines tested this aspect themselves and proved that their engines weren’t at any great risk.

What private options are available for this kind of assessment?

My point is that for the most part the market can resolve these kinds of issues without the heavy hand of government. We want government to intercede in cases of clear abuse, fraud, and collusion.

In those cases the punishments should fit the crime, even to the point of holding the appropriate executives liable, dissolving corporations for egregious abuses, or bankrupting them in courts.

Those threats above are enough to make me want to run our airline safely, not to mention the profit motive, no?

BTW, what should we call our airline? ;-]

[muawiyah]

No, those sanctions are not nearly enough. Remember, while the German airline guys were telling the world their engines showed no signs of damage from flying through/around/near the parts of the debris clouds they chose to fly through/around/near, the Belgian Air Force reported injury to their jet engines from flying through/around/near the parts of the debris clouds they chose to fly through/around/near.

So, who's the consumer to believe?