International Air Transport Association chief Giovanni Bisignani last week said the first three quarters of 2007 represent a "big step backwards" for airline safety due to what looks to be an increasing accident rate.
Speaking at the US Federal Aviation Administration's fourth international safety forum in Virginia, Bisignani reported that the average accident rate (hull losses per 1 million flight hours) for all airlines so far this year had risen to 0.9, the highest rate since 2002 and 38% higher than last year's 0.65 rate for the full year.
IATA's 240 airlines, carrying 94% of the world's scheduled international traffic, had a hull loss rate of 0.41.
Bisignani said hull loss accidents in Africa increased to 6.04 from 4.31 last year, marking the worst record for the first three quarters. Behind Africa was the Asia-Pacific region with 3.27 hull losses per million flight hours, followed by Brazil with 2.52. IATA notes that the rates could decline by year's end if no additional accidents occur and hours are accumulated.
To counter the negative trend, IATA has launched safety partnerships in Brazil and Indonesia and opened an office in Nigeria.
Bisignani's comments provided a sobering introduction to the FAA forum, which was focused largely on safety gains possible with safety management systems, a method of proactively enhancing safety through data-rich feedback mechanisms within an operation or airline.
The International Civil Aviation Organisation plans to publish standards and recommendations to member states for incorporating airline safety management programmes in January 2009, although industry experts say more work needs to be done. "There is no global standard to guide us and no targets to monitor progress," said Bisignani.
A growing number of airlines are however using IATA's operational safety audit tool as a safety feedback mechanism, a key element of a safety management programme. Bisignani said more than 175 airlines are signed up to receive the audits, which must be complete by year's end. Results of the audit are due by the end of 2008.
Source: Flight International
