Satellite phones must be made mandatory in cockpits on all short-haul flights – Ahearn

The diversion of the Ryanair flight in Belarus last month highlights the need for satellite phones to be made mandatory in cockpits on all flights, a Fine Gael Senator has said.

Speaking in the Seanad this week, Senator Garret Ahearn said, “I believe most people would agree that responsibility for the diversion and landing of Ryanair flight 4978 lies solely with Belarus and the Belarussian authorities.

“I welcome the sanctions imposed by the EU on Belarus, but we need to look at ourselves and what protections we can put in place to make sure something like this does not happen again.

“There are currently no satellite phones in the cockpits of any Ryanair flights. While it isn’t a requirement in law to have satphones in the cockpits of planes on short-haul flights, there is a legal requirement to have such phones on long-haul journeys.

“Satphones are extremely costly pieces of equipment, but most airlines have them installed as standard on all flights, including short-haul trips. However, Ryanair does not currently include them on any of their routes.

“I am calling on Minister Eamon Ryan to exert as much pressure as possible during the next European Union Aviation Safety Agency review, to ensure a requirement is put in place to have satphones installed on all short-haul and long-haul flights.

“Had the pilots onboard Ryanair flight 4978 access to a satphone, they would have been able to contact Dublin Airport and fact-check the information they were receiving from Belarus. This would have provided the crew with not only an open line of communication but also a degree of comfort and could have avoided the flight’s landing in Minsk.

“It’s a very simple change to include satphones in all cockpits, but it’s one that will ensure the safety and security of passengers and crew onboard”, concluded Senator Ahearn.