SEOUL, KOREA - Asiana Airlines has brought in a chief executive in charge of safety affairs, as a way to strengthen safety operations following the accident in San Francisco Airport in July this year. This is the first time for the airline to hire a foreigner as a safety executive since its founding in 1988.

 

The company said on November 10 that it has appointed Akiyoshi Yamamura, former executive of All Nippon Airways, as chief executive for safety affairs (vice president level), who will begin to work from December 1.

 

Mr. Yamamura had long been with ANA, first as a pilot and then as a safety manager. He retired from the Japanese company in May this year. Recently he took the job of a safety inspector with the International Air Transport Association. As a member of the Star Alliance, ANA recommended him strongly for the job. Asiana Airlines expects that bringing in an outsider would enhance its safety records as insiders may tend to take things for granted.