Th e International Air Transport Association (IATA) has urged aviation safety stakeholders to reinforce their commitment to a safety framework based on global standards, cooperation and dialogue, and eff ective use of data. Speaking at the IATA Safety and Flight Operations Conference in Seoul, Republic of Korea, Alexandre de Juniac identifi ed air accident investigations as a key area where greater cooperation on global standards is needed. “Safety is the top priority for all involved in aviation—and aviation is the safest form of long-distance travel. Last year there were over 40 million safe fl ights. Th at’s an achievement that we can all be proud of.
And it was made possible by a framework that incorporates respect for global standards, cooperation and the value of data. “Global standards exist, but they are not being applied universally. Th e investigation process is one of our most important learning tools when building global standards. However, a recent study showed that of the approximately 1,000 accidents over the last decade, accident reports were available for only around 300 of them. And of those, many had room for improvement.
To learn from an accident, we need reports that are complete, accessible and timely. We also need states to fully respect the standards and processes enshrined in global agreements for participation in the investigation by all specifi ed parties,” said de Juniac. De Juniac also called for increased dialogue between regulators and industry to ensure that industry experience and know-how is incorporated into new regulations and standards. “We have a common interest in safe and secure fl ights.
Yet last month the US and the UK announced that large electronic devices would be banned from passenger cabins on some fl ights from the Middle East and North Africa. Th ere was no consultation with airlines and the measure challenged public confi dence with inconsistencies, while the safety concerns over concentrations of lithium batteries in the aircraft hold have not been adequately considered or addressed. Th e learnings from this are many—governments need to share information, they need to consult with industry, and they need to support the International Civil FG lauded for prompt completion of Abuja Airport runway Aviation Organization (ICAO) as it develops a global aviation security plan,” he said.
Turning to the use of data to improve safety, de Juniac urged speed and innovation. “Th e data generated from the 100,000 safe fl ights each day can help us understand where the next threat or challenge may arise. We need to move ahead in this area with speed. Th e IATA Global Aviation Data Management programme (GADM) is vital to our future. It includes data from more than 470 organizations. Information provided through IATA’s Flight Data eXchange program, a component of GADM, already is helping to identify potential hazards through the analysis of de-identifi ed aircraft fl ight recorder data,” he added. Another area where more data is needed involves the use of drones around airports and their potential hazard to
