The International Air Transport Association Safety Conference kicks off in Dubai

IATA expects the air transport industry to return to the path of growth... and 7.8 billion flights annually by 2040

Tim Clark opened the conference with a speech emphasizing the safety of people in flight operations.

Photography: Ashok Verma

The International Air Transport Association Safety Conference 2022, organized by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and hosted by Emirates Airlines, kicked off yesterday in Dubai under the slogan “Advancing the sector - a safe transition towards a more flexible future”, with a focus on the topic of leadership. in the field of safety.

IATA expects the air transport industry to return to its growth trajectory, reaching 7.8 billion passenger flights annually by 2040.

Conference Agenda

The conference agenda focuses on developing the operational safety audit program of the Federation, in order to reach a risk-based model that allows the allocation of audits, according to the nature of the risks faced by airlines, at a time when safety data confirms that airlines registered in the program record experience an accident rate less than Unregistered peers, the overall accident rate for airlines registered in the OSA in 2021 achieved a result six times better, compared to non-registered airlines (0.45 vs. 2.86).

"Fly Emirates"

Emirates President Tim Clark, in his opening speech, referred to the first Emirates flight 37 years ago, saying: “(Emirates Airlines) was born on October 25, 1985, and that was the day we launched our first flights to both Karachi and Mumbai.” He pointed out that it was a different era, as the Airbus A300 B4 and Boeing 737-300 aircraft at that time did not match the passenger capacity, cargo volumes, or the range and efficiency of wide-body aircraft today.

safety data

“The aviation business, consumer expectations, and the global order have changed, but the one thing that will not change, and should never change, is our relentless focus on safety,” Clark added, stressing the importance of continuing to ensure the safety of people working in aviation operations, as it is an important Not amenable to compromise.

He pointed out that the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has been following safety data since 1964, revealing that the odds of an aviation accident currently are about “1” out of every million flights, and “1” out of 2.27 million flights for IATA member carriers. According to data from the International Air Transport Association 2021, Clark continued: "We should never be satisfied with what we have achieved, and we must continue to improve and develop safety programs, training, monitoring, communication and dealing with various situations."

He explained that "(IATA) with continued recovery in the next two years after the Corona virus pandemic, it expects the air transport industry to return to its growth path, reaching 7.8 billion passenger flights annually by 2040."

Systems and Technologies

Clark questioned whether the air transport industry is really ready to deal with the next 20 to 30 years, regardless of climate change issues, expressing concern about the industry's failure to provide the right infrastructure for the future, and the dearth of leadership.

He also stressed the importance of working in systems, technologies, people and infrastructure components, pointing out that the industry deals with the current demand with difficulty, wondering how to deal with future growth and the number of countries investing to improve and expand airport infrastructure, and modernize air navigation systems.

"The air transport business is a complex, interconnected, and cross-border web, and we are all collectively responsible for the safe operations of today, and for laying the foundations for safer operations in the future," Clark said.

positive safety

For his part, IATA Senior Vice President, Operations, Safety and Security, Nick Crane, said: “It is incumbent on senior aviation executives to set an example for employees in adhering to safety standards, demonstrating leadership qualities in this area, and unwavering commitment to a positive safety culture. and verify the adoption of this vision throughout the institution. 

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