IATA chief calls for greater international cooperation on air accident investigations

“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 flights. That’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,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s director-general and chief executive officer.
Speaking at the “IATA Safety and Flight Operations Conference” in Seoul, de Juniac identified air-accident investigations as a key area where greater cooperation on global standards is needed.
“Global standards exist, but they are not being applied universally. The 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 specified parties,” he told the conference.