Safety and security must remain at top of aviation’s agenda, says IATA leader
October 1, 2024
With airline leaders gathering in Marrakech this week for the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA’s) World Safety and Operations Conference, Aer Lingus’ CEO has become the 100th airline leader to commit to the trade body’s Safety Leadership Charter.
Tuesday 1 October has seen airline and airport leaders touch down in Marrakech, Morrocco for the third IATA World Safety and Operations Conference. With the focus on geopolitical tensions and the impact of innovations and emerging technologies including artificial intelligence (AI) on airline operations and the industry’s sustainability goals, the announcement was also made that Aer Lingus CEO, Lynne Embleton, has marked a milestone as the 100th airline CEO to join the airline trade body’s Safety Leadership Charter.
Speaking at the conference, Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general, said: “Flying is safe because aviation’s safety culture begins at the very top level of management. The Aer Lingus CEO and other 99 CEOs who have singed the IATA Safety Leadership Charter account for some 70% of global traffic.”
The charger outlines eight key leadership principles that CEOs pledge to uphold, including leading by example; raising awareness; integrating safety into business; building capacity; fostering trust; establishing clear expectations; promoting shared responsibility and continuous improvement.
For her part, Embleton underlined that there is nothing more important than safety for Aer Lingus. “Across every area of our airline, we are deeply committed to and focused on maintaining the highest safety standards. Leadership plays a critical role in shaping and sustaining a strong safety culture, ensuring that every decision we make is grounded in the wellbeing of our passengers, crew and operations.”
She added that signing the charter reinforces the Irish carrier’s dedication to safety and strengthens its commitment to lead by example.
The morning also saw Royal Air Maroc CEO, Abdelhamid Addou and Willie Walsh sign an agreement for a new aviation safety culture survey.
Embracing innovation and technology for safe, efficient operations
While airline leaders, including Addou and Walsh, kicked off this year’s conference with a panel discussion exploring how airlines are leveraging innovation and technology to optimise efficiency and reduce costs, while ensuring safe, secure operations, the latter half of the day saw delegates attending break out sessions covering various aspects of safety, cabin operations and flight operations.
In a press conference, Walsh underlined that this particular IATA event brings together stakeholders across the industry to deliver a comprehensive and detailed evaluation of safety and security across the industry. “Safety is a number one priority for the industry. We don’t take it for granted,” he said. “We are constantly investing significant amounts of money to ensure safe, secure operations and are constantly exploring new ways to enhance the industry.”
He also noted that while passenger traffic is ahead of where we were pre-covid, “the hangover of the global pandemic still adds to the challenges faced by the industry… Ongoing disruptions to supply chains, high costs and geopolitical instability, all have a significant impact on safe and efficient operations. But we mustn’t compete or compromise on safety and security.”
