Overview

• IATA head Willie Walsh argued in Singapore that cockpit video would clarify pilot actions and mental health factors after preliminary AAIB findings of a possible fuel cutoff on Flight 171.
• U.S. pilots’ unions including ALPA and APA maintain that existing voice and data recorders are sufficient and say cameras threaten privacy and could be used for disciplinary measures.
• Australia’s ATSB credited helicopter-mounted cameras with revealing critical non-flying tasks that audio alone missed in a 2023 crash, bolstering calls for cockpit video.
• Aircraft manufacturers have not confirmed customer options for video systems and experts note that retrofitting older fleets could face wiring and design obstacles.
• Under international guidelines, India’s AAIB must issue a final report within a year, leaving questions over video recorder mandates to regulatory and industry debate.