Abstract
With the continuous increase in world air travel which has been observed since 1995 being maintained, although at a somewhat lower rate after the terrorism enacted at the World Trade Centre in New York last year, it has been estimated that the number of aircraft hull loss accidents will double by 2012. Such serious accidents often involve fatalities.
To ensure that there is in place an acceptable level of support for victims and their families, wherever the accident may have occurred, a Resolution A32–7 was adopted at the 32nd General Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), a body of the United Nations. (Every nation which is a member of the UN is entitled to be a member of ICAO: once a member, the state and its airlines must provide air services to the standard required by the ICAO.) The Resolution is based implicitly on the rules which have been put in place by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) of the USA. This short paper briefly explains what the rules entail, the likely impact that such rules will have on an airline affected by an air accident, and what are some of the other implications of implementing the Resolution.