IATA is calling on governments across the world to implement measures agreed upon that will ensure flight safety.
In submissions to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly that is taking place between September 23 – October 3 in Montreal, Canada, the global association for air transporters has put the blame on the ICAO members for specifically failing to investigate aircraft accidents in a timely manner and issue comprehensive reports.
According to the IATA Annual Safety Report, out of the 269 accidents classified by the IATA Accident Classification Task Force (ACTF), only 57 percent resulted in a final report.
In this regard, the association called on States to investigate accidents in a timely manner and establish a safety recommendations repository with complete reports.
This figure highlights significant capacity challenges and inconsistent compliance with ICAO Annex 13 obligations. IATA is committed to addressing this issue and will intensify efforts through a comprehensive roadmap to improving the quality and completion rate of final investigation reports.
~ IATA
Accessible safety information that must include causes of accidents and actionable recommended measures will help make the skies safer.
Unfortunately, “delays and failures to publish thorough and timely accident investigation reports prevents operators, equipment manufacturers, regulators, infrastructure providers, and other concerned stakeholders from accessing critical information that could help prevent future accidents from occurring and further improve aviation safety.”
In the end, such delays and failures undermine public confidence instead of enabling accident survivors and the families of victims to understand the facts surrounding an accident.
IATA through its submissions now urges governments to establish fully independent investigation agencies, that are structurally and functionally separate from regulators, operators, and political authorities.
It also urges the establishment of dedicated training programmes for professionals in these agencies as well as collaboration with international or regional safety organizations especially for states that lack capacity.
