Every airline worth its salt claims to value passenger safety over and above all else. But, realistically, airlines must balance the often-conflicting imperatives of safety and profitability. Inevitably, moments will arise where executives ask not, “How safe can we possibly be?” but “How safe must we be?” or “How safe can we afford to be?” These tough, troubling questions are an inescapable fact of doing business in an industry centered around potentially hazardous technology.