Airline Defends Mx, Safety Practices

Australian carrier Qantas Airways is backing its maintenance and safety record after a massive hole developed in the fuselage of one of its Boeing 747s during a July 25 flight. Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon said that major maintenance work had been performed in Australia, adding that he could not speculate on the cause of the hole. Investigators are focusing their efforts on an oxygen tank that may have exploded in mid-flight, ripping the 10-foot hole in the fuselage. Dixon, who suggested that the incident was likely out of the airline’s control, pointed to the carrier’s strong safety record and added that the company is determined to continue maintaining that record. 
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