Skies safer, despite woes

[SilentWarrior]

It seems a happy paradox: While the U.S. airline industry has been going through wrenching and seemingly endless post-9/11 economic turmoil, its safety record has never been better.

Thousands of the industry's most experienced pilots have taken early retirement, and veteran mechanics have been displaced as financially stressed carriers cut jobs and outsource work they used to do themselves.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution