Montreal -
The International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) 2012 Operations Committee
(OPC) agreed to four main priorities to guide IATA’s safety initiatives over
the next 12 months. These are:
Pilot and Engineer Training: Accommodating the growth in demand for air connectivity with trained
pilots and engineers is a priority. IATA will facilitate this with the IATA
Quality and Training Initiative (ITQI), which moves into its implementation
stage. The focus will be on working with the International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO), the International Federation of Airline Pilots'
Associations (IFALPA) and regulators to shift to a competency-based approach to
training for pilots and engineers.
· ITQI takes a
comprehensive approach to training by addressing aptitude testing, multi-crew
pilot licensing, evidence-based training and instructor qualification.
· Training
modernization is based on ensuing the core competencies of pilots and mechanics
as defined in the first phase of ITQI (2007-2011).
Alongside
training modernization, ITQI will also promote mutual recognition of standards
for pilot and engineer licensing and certification of flight simulators.
Enhanced IOSA: The Enhanced IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) program will include
measures to ensure continuous conformity with IOSA standards and recommended
practices (ISARPS) with quality control processes and self-auditing in between
IOSA’s two-year audit cycle. A timeline for the implementation of Enhanced IOSA
will be proposed for endorsement at the next OPC meeting in October. Since the
end of 2008, IOSA has been a condition of IATA membership and has been
supported by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the European
Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and ICAO along with other key regulators around
the globe.
Ground Operations: A dedicated IATA ground operations team was created to support the IATA
Ground Handling Committee as it drives safety and efficiency improvements. The
Committee’s agenda includes (1) the further development and implementation of
the just released IATA Ground Handling Manual (IGOM), (2) developing a standard
set of ground handling instructions, and (3) the further development of the
IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO). These are cornerstones of the
industry’s effort to improve ground safety while reducing the $4 billion cost
of ground damage.
Harmonization: The OPC urged governments to focus on the implementation of targeted
safety measures instead of adding costly and cumbersome regulations that do
little to improve safety. Over the next months, IATA will submit three priority
areas for industry to work with ICAO, the US FAA and EASA with a goal of
harmonization.
“Safety remains
the top priority. We have a full agenda to make an already safe industry even
safer. Industry and governments have always cooperated to achieve our
common goals based on global standards and harmonization. The need to take
those even further in the areas of training, ground safety, and auditing will
be our priority over the coming year,” said Guenther Matschnigg, IATA’s Senior
Vice President for Safety, Operations and Infrastructure.
The OPC
took place alongside the IATA Ops Conference which was jointly hosted by IATA
and the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) in Rio de
Janeiro from 16-18 April. With Brazil as the setting, there was also a focus on
infrastructure preparedness to meet the demands of the World Cup in 2014 and
the 2016 Olympics including the optimization of air routes and implementation
of Performance-Based Navigation. “The major world events that Brazil will be
hosting are a catalyst for infrastructure improvements. These are needed to
accommodate Latin America’s long-term needs in light of aviation’s key role in
the region’s robust economic growth,” said Matschnigg.