SAS backs Linate over safety

The tail of the wrecked SAS airliner

MILAN, Italy -- Scandinavian Airlines System says there is no reason to believe that Milan's Linate airport is unsafe -- the day after one of its airliners collided with a light aircraft, killing 118 people.

Linate's arrangements have prompted furious criticism in press comments in Italy and Scandinavia. Newspaper editorials accused the airport authorities of negligence for failing to ensure a ground radar system that could track movements of planes on the ground was working.

SAS chief executive Jorgen Lindegaard is waiting for the results of three investigations into Monday's crash before reaching any conclusions.

But he said on Tuesday: "We travel to many airports that have ground radar and many that do not. We have no reason to believe there is a safety problem at Linate."

VIDEO Investigating the airport disaster, Tom Bogdanovic reports (October 9) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)   MORE STORIES • Human error blamed for Milan crash   • SAS: Chronology of incidents

The MD-87 airliner, bound for Copenhagen, collided with a Cessna light aircraft on the runway as it prepared to take off in thick fog, careered into a baggage handling hanger and burst into flames.

Politicians also criticised those responsible for safety at Linate. Italian Interior Minister Claudio Scajola said on Italian TV: "Any eventual penal responsibilities will be determined by the magistrature but if there is anyone responsible they will have to pay.''

And Danish Transport Minister Jacob Buksti was reported as saying: "It would seem that Milan airport's operational methods are to blame.''

Linate's ground radar was taken out of service in 1999, with the intention of installing replacement ground radar equipment. This new system is yet to come into operation. Italy's second-biggest pilots' union said the accident could have been avoided if the ground radar had been activated, the Associated Press reported.

All commercial and private airlines that use Linate had been told at the beginning of the month that the radar was not working.

SAS said it had not heard of any official complaint about the airport's failure to put its radar system into service. The airline says grieving relatives are its first priority -- 100 of them were arriving in Milan on Tuesday. Each family is being given $25,000 for expenses, and more than 70 counsellors are available. SAS says no expense will be spared in dealing with either the crisis for the relatives or the investigation.

A crisis centre has been set up for the relatives, some of whom will have to identify the remains of family members who died in the accident. A memorial service is to be held in Milan on Friday.

CNN's Tom Bogdanowicz contributed to this report.