AIRLINE PASSENGERS may be asked to name their next of kin when they book a flight under a new law being passed by the European parliament.
The legislation requires that airlines produce a passenger list within two hours in the event of a crash, and naming of next of kin or a point of contact will reduce delays in establishing who is on board, according to the legislation.
It also aims to ensure the independence of air accident investigations, and establishes a network of civil aviation safety investigation authorities across the EU, with the aim of providing “common standards” among member states for the investigation of crashes.
Passengers’ names will only be published once relatives have been informed by the authorities, and only if they do not object.
Airlines will have to provide passengers with the means to appoint a contact person. This data is for use only in the event of crashes, the law states.
Jim Higgins (FG, Ireland West), a member of the European parliament transport committee, said “families will have better access to information regarding their loved ones” in the event of a accident.
He recalled the Air France crash over the Atlantic in 2008 when “some family members learned via the airwaves of the fate of their loved ones. The parliament is trying to ensure that this does not happen again.”
The Council of EU Ministers is expected to agree the legislation within weeks and it becomes law within 20 days of publication.