Category: IATA

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called on public and private stakeholders to work together to address critical priorities to enable aviation to do more to drive economic growth in Africa.

“Aviation supports 6.7 million jobs and some $68 billion of economic activity in Africa. Those numbers are impressive but I am convinced aviation has an even bigger role to play in providing the connectivity that drives economic growth and development,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

Speaking at Aviation Day Africa, Tyler said that, “Africa is poised for rapid development and great changes. Half of the top 20 fastest growing economies over the next five years are expected to be on this continent. Aviation’s part in driving growth and development will become even more prominent.”

In order for this to occur, however, Africa must address major challenges in safety, infrastructure, and liberalization.

Safety:
“Safety is our top priority. And Africa’s performance is well below what we are achieving globally,” said Tyler. In 2012 African airlines had one accident (with a Western-built jet aircraft) for every 270,000 flights. Globally, the industry average was 1 accident for every 5 million flights. However, no IATA member experienced a Western-built jet hull loss accident last year and that includes the 25 member airlines based in Africa. Likewise, none of the 384 airlines on the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) registry had a hull loss with a Western-built jet—also including those carriers based in Africa. “It is clear that IOSA is making a difference—not just in Africa, but in safety globally,” said Tyler.

The Abuja Declaration, which was endorsed by the African Union Summit this year, sets out a comprehensive approach to reaching world-class safety levels by 2015. Completion of IOSA by all African carriers is a condition of the Declaration and Tyler urged African governments to make IOSA mandatory for airlines. IATA is sponsoring 10 airlines with in-house training to achieve IOSA registration.

In addition to IOSA participation, the Abuja Declaration calls for:

• The establishment of independent and sufficiently funded civil aviation authorities
• Implementation of effective and transparent safety oversight systems by all African states
• Implementation of accident prevention measures focused on runway safety and loss of control
• Implementation of flight data analysis
• And implementation of safety management systems by all service providers

“Meeting the Abuja Declaration’s commitments will require a major effort across the continent. We have a lot of ground to cover and we cannot lose momentum. IATA is a committed partner and we must work together as a team of stakeholders to deliver world class safety to Africa,” said Tyler.

Infrastructure

“Infrastructure is also a major challenge. Some of the challenges are physical—infrastructure in many parts of Africa needs to improve,” said Tyler. Several infrastructure projects are ongoing in the region—upgrades at Lagos Airport, Performance-Based Navigation investments for Nigerian air traffic management and ambitious airport infrastructure re-development in Ghana.

Nonetheless, there are some infrastructure challenges including the reliability of fuel supply in Lagos. “We must find a sustainable long-term solution. The vandalized pipeline is no longer in use. And trucking fuel from Apapa terminal through dense traffic is inefficient and costly. The same can be said of building extra capacity to store fuel on site. Without minimizing the challenges involved, providing security on a few kilometers of pipeline is not an impossible task. We are working with the oil industry to find a solution. And we will be seeking the government’s political will to help us make it happen. Ensuring fuel reliability is critical to Lagos’s future as a hub for connectivity across South-West Africa.,” said Tyler.

Infrastructure costs and charging policy are also hindering African connectivity. “Just as with safety, global standards exist to provide guidance on charges, as developed and recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organization. These include cost-relatedness, non-discrimination and transparency. It is also recommended that charges be developed in consultation with users. And there should be no pre-financing,“ said Tyler.

“Governments must also recognize that every dollar counts. If we average the entire industry’s profits for 2012, airlines retained about $2.50 for every passenger. And African airlines have been basically hovering around break-even for a decade or more. Without sustainable income, airlines cannot expand to meet rising demand and in fact, they may have to reduce services,” said Tyler.

Liberalization
“Africa’s economic development needs aviation connectivity. And for that to further develop, airlines need to be able to access markets. Ironically, connectivity from Africa to other continents is more developed than connectivity within the continent. From Lagos there are daily flights to Atlanta but not to Dakar or Abidjan—and Lagos is one of the better connected cities in Africa. Africa has a visionary framework for growing connectivity across the continent in the now epic story of the Yamoussoukro Declaration which started in 1988. There has been some progress. But it is far from being transformational. It is interesting to see that African governments find it somehow easier to expand bilateral arrangements with long-haul trading partners than within the region,” said Tyler.

Tokyo – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the aviation safety performance for 2010 showing that the year’s accident rate for Western-built jet aircraft as the lowest in aviation history.

The 2010 global accident rate (measured in hull losses per million flights of Western-built jet aircraft) was 0.61. That is equal to one accident for every 1.6 million flights. This is a significant improvement of the 0.71 rate recorded in 2009 (one accident for 1.4 million flights). The 2010 rate was the lowest in aviation history, just below the 2006 rate of 0.65. Compared to 10 years ago, the accident rate has been cut 42% from the rate recorded in 2001. A hull loss is an accident in which the aircraft is destroyed or substantially damaged and is not subsequently repaired.

“Safety is the number one priority. Achieving the lowest accident rate in the history of aviation shows that this commitment is bearing results. Flying is safe. But every fatality is a human tragedy that reminds us of the ultimate goal of zero accidents and zero fatalities. We must remain focused and determined to move closer to this goal year by year,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

In absolute numbers, 2010 saw the following results:

• 2.4 billion people flew safely on 36.8 million flights (28.4 million jet, 8.4 million turboprop)
• 17 hull loss accidents involving western-built jet aircraft compared to 19 in 2009
• 94 accidents (all aircraft types, Eastern and Western built) compared to 90 in 2009
• 23 fatal accidents (all aircraft types) compared to 18 in 2009
• 786 fatalities compared to 685 in 2009

IATA member airlines outperformed the industry average with a Western-built jet hull loss rate of 0.25. That rate is equal to one accident for every 4 million flights. The IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) became a condition of IATA membership from 1 April 2009. All 234 IATA member airlines are now on the IOSA registry. The IOSA registry is open to all airlines and it currently consists of over 350 airlines.

“The numbers tell the story. In the first full year after the IOSA became a condition of IATA membership, the accident rate for IATA carriers has never been so low. The data confirms that IOSA is helping to drive safety improvements around the world. It is an important part of a comprehensive safety strategy involving governments and industry working together to further reduce the number of accidents and fatalities,” said Bisignani.

There are significant regional differences in the Western built jet hull loss accident rate:

• North America (0.10), Europe (0.45), North Asia (0.34) and the Commonwealth of Independent States (0.0) performed better than the global average of 0.61
• Asia-Pacific was higher than the global average at 0.80 in 2010 and about the same from the previous year (0.86)
• The Middle East and North Africa region saw its accident rate fall significantly to 0.72 (compared to 3.32 in 2009) with only one accident involving a carrier from the region
• Latin America & the Caribbean reported a higher accident rate of 1.87 with four airlines from the region involved in accidents, compared with a zero accident rate in 2009
• Africa had an accident rate of 7.41, which was lower than the 2009 rate of 9.94. While showing improvement, Africa once again has the worst rate in the world. There were four Western-built jet hull losses with African carriers in 2010. African carriers are 2% of global traffic, but 23% of global western-built jet hull losses.

Safety in Africa

In 2010, the accident rate of IOSA carriers in Africa (for all aircraft types) was more than 50% better than non-IOSA airlines. Among IATA’s efforts in Africa, it established the IATA Program for Safe Operations in Africa (IPSOA). IPSOA ensured that flight data analysis tools are available to all IATA carriers in Africa, and as of the last quarter of 2010, all IATA carriers have this essential safety tool in place. IPSOA will provide IATA with the data needed to develop safety programs targeted at specific challenges in the region.

“Flying must be equally safe in all parts of the world. An accident rate in Africa that is over 12 times the global average is not acceptable. Improvements can happen. IATA’s African carriers performed significantly better than non-IATA airlines in the region. I encourage all governments in the region to make use of the IOSA tool to boost the region’s performance,” said Bisignani.

An analysis of the causes of the 2010 accidents focuses on several areas:

Runway excursions, which are instances when an aircraft departs the runway during takeoff or landing, were once again the most common cause of accidents, accounting for 21% of all accidents in 2010 (vs. 26% in 2009). The number of industry runway excursions accidents dropped by 13% (20 vs. 23 in 2009) and IATA members have reduced their runway excursion accidents by 43% since 2008 (4 vs. 7 in 2008).

IATA analysis shows about 35% of runway excursions on landing occurred on wet runways. Another leading cause of runway excursions on landing is an “unstable approach,” where the aircraft is approaching too fast, too high, or touches down beyond the desired runway touchdown point. IATA is working with industry and regulators to address this safety challenge.

In 2009, IATA released the Runway Excursion Risk Reduction (RERR) toolkit which provides high-level reference material as well as an in-depth analysis of runway excursion accident data and a compilation of significant risk factors. The toolkit also provides recommendations for operators, pilots, airports, air traffic management, and regulators. A major update to the RERR toolkit is planned for the spring of 2011 and will bring together all major international safety organizations in a collaborative effort to eliminate these types of accidents.

Ground damage accounted for 11% of all accidents in 2010, improved from 17% in 2008 when IATA launched the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO) to address this challenge. ISAGO is the industry’s first global standard for the oversight and auditing of ground handling companies. The program, containing over 400 standards, was launched in February 2008 and the first audits took place in May of the same year. To date, a total of 288 audits have been conducted and 56 providers operating at 81 different locations are already on the ISAGO registry. The program has gained broad support from several aviation authorities and airports and has been mandated in Lebanon and Turkey.

Data Driving Further Improvements

Further improvements to the industry’s safety performance will be guided by data that can assist airlines in identifying trends and initiate preventive measures. IATA established the Global Safety Information Center (GSIC) in 2010. This interactive website is a one-stop resource combining safety data from sources such as IOSA and ISAGO audits, flight data analysis, pilot reports and accident investigations without compromising commercial privacy.

“Safety is a constant challenge. Industry and governments need to accelerate their efforts on data sharing. In 2010, IATA launched GSIC providing its members with unprecedented access to safety information. More than 430 different organizations are already submitting safety data into the GSIC, and over 50% of IATA member carriers are participating. Substantial GSIC expansion is planned over the next few years and the industry will reap the benefits,” said Bisignani.

In September 2010, IATA signed an historic agreement with the International Civil Aviation Organization, the US Department of Transportation and the Commission of the European Union to launch the Global Safety Information Exchange. This first global private/public partnership will exchange safety information aimed at improving safety by reducing risk.

“Safety is not a competitive issue—among carriers or governments. Improvement is in everybody’s interest. By sharing data and best practices we will continue to drive improvements to make a safe industry even safer,” said Bisignani.

Geneva – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced today the dawn of a new era for the air cargo supply chain in Romania, Slovenia and Malta. E-freight for imports and exports went live in Romania on November 9, in Slovenia on November 12 and in Malta on November 15.

Facilitated by IATA, the project is an industry-wide initiative involving customs authorities, carriers, freight forwarders, ground handlers and shippers. E-freight effectively eliminates the need to send paper documents with air cargo shipments, hence streamlining processes, improving speed and reliability and cutting costs.

In Romania, the e-freight implementation team was led by Air France/KLM, with freight forwarder Schenker. In Slovenia the team was led by Lufthansa in close cooperation with Slovenia Customs and DHL. In Malta the Emirates and Lufthansa were the lead airlines, working closely with in association with BAS Ltd, MAL Services, Servisair Globe Ground, Lufthansa Technik, MITA Technik and Malta Customs.

Romania, Slovenia and Malta are the 33rd, 34th and 35th e-freight countries worldwide to deliver paper-free cargo. Europe now has 19 countries that are e-freight live. The latest list of live locations includes: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, Chinese Taipei, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dubai, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mauritius, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom and United States.

The Romanian e-freight implementation team was led by:
Airlines: Air France/KLM
Government Entities: Romania Customs
Freight Forwarder: Schenker

The Slovenian e-freight implementation team includes the following participants:
Airlines: Lufthansa
Government Entities: Slovenia Customs
Freight Forwarders: DHL

In Malta the team comprises the following participants:
Airlines: Emirates, Lufthansa
Government Entities: Malta Customs
Freight Forwarders: BAS Ltd, MAL Services
Ground Handlers: Servisair Globe Ground

For more information, please contact:
Chris Goater
Manager, Corporate Communications
Tel: +41 22 770 2967
Email: corpcomms@iata.org

Notes for Editors:

• IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents some 230 airlines comprising 93% of scheduled international air traffic.

Date: 20 October 2010

Cairo – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called for coordinated efforts to deal with the challenges of growth in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). “Over the last decade, the carriers of the Middle East and North African region have grown from 5% of global traffic to 11%. Planned aircraft purchases of $200 billion over the next decade will support this growth into the foreseeable future. This expanding global presence brings with it the challenge of playing a larger role in the global aviation community,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

The financial situation of the MENA carriers is improving. For 2010, IATA is forecasting a bottom line improvement of $1 billion on the $600 million that the region’s carriers lost in 2009. “We are expecting the region to make $400 million profits this year. A more cautious approach to capacity is helping to drive this improvement. While demand is in line for a 21% increase over last year, the capacity increase has been limited to 15.9%,” said Bisignani in a keynote address to the Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO) Annual General Meeting in Cairo, Egypt.

For 2011, IATA expects a fall in global profitability to $5.3 billion from the $8.9 billion that airlines are expected to make in 2010. IATA expects MENA carriers to follow the trend with a reduced 2011 regional profit of $300 million. The small profit will be partially driven by an expected capacity expansion of 10.6% outstripping demand growth of 10.4%.

Bisignani highlighted four challenges of growth for the region:

Safety: The region’s hull loss rate for Western built aircraft slipped from zero accidents in 2006 to 3.32 accidents per million flights in 2009. “At 4.6 times the global average of 0.71, that is a concern. The region’s rapid growth must be accompanied with a strong safety record,” said Bisignani who challenged MENA’s governments to adopt IATA’s two safety audits—the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and the IATA Safety Audit for Ground Operations (ISAGO)—as part of national requirements. Egypt was the first government in the world to mandate IOSA, joined later by Lebanon, Syria and Bahrain, and soon Jordan. Today, 35 MENA carriers are on the IOSA registry, including all 26 IATA members. MENA has also taken a leadership role on ISAGO. Lebanon will make it mandatory for ground handlers from June 2011 and 13 ground handlers in the region are already on the registry.

Infrastructure: The MENA region is planning airport construction totaling $100 billion, which includes at least eight new runways in the Gulf region. “The industry and governments are investing in infrastructure to support the economic benefits of aviation’s growth. But what is being built and planned on the ground is not being matched in the air. Military airspace covers 60% of the region, limiting capacity and forcing inefficient routings. We must cooperate to open more of the region’s skies,” said Bisignani. IATA is also working on projects to redesign airspace in the Gulf area, facilitate more traffic for East-West traffic across North Africa, support ultra-long haul operations with more efficient routings, and complete the implementation of reduced vertical separation minima (RVSM) across MENA by bringing Iraq on board.

Technology for Simplifying the Business: MENA is on target to meet the December deadline for 100% implementation of bar coded boarding passes which promises global savings of $1.5 billion. Airlines are 92% complete while airports are at 90%. The region is home to seven airports that are already operating 100%: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bahrain, Muscat, Doha, Kuwait and Sharjah. Two countries in MENA are participating in IATA e-freight—the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt. The UAE is a global top performer as the originating country for 21% of all e-freight shipments. “Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have all passed the high-level assessment and are expected to launch in 2011. The only hurdle is for governments to adapt their local regulations to facilitate modern business practices. E-freight is a great competitive advantage with the capability to save the industry $4.9 billion,” said Bisignani.

Government Involvement: Bisignani urged governments in the region to keep costs in check and create the regulatory framework to balance burgeoning long-haul opportunities with short-haul regional liberalization. Bisignani praised Tunisia’s decision, following an IATA intervention, to eliminate its 10% import tax on jet fuel which conflicted with the Chicago Convention. Bisignani urged the region to set correct precedents with privatized infrastructure. “We are now working with Jordan to curb unilateral increases in taxes and charges that followed privatization of its airports. To keep competitive, governments much ensure meaningful consultation and agreed investments plans,” said Bisignani, who also encouraged the region to take a more proactive approach to liberalization. “I see cutting-edge examples of liberalization as key markets such as Morocco, Jordan and Tunisia build open-sky agreements with Europe. The Damascus Convention of 2004 provides a framework for regional liberalization, but the number of countries ratifying it is disappointing.”

Environment: Bisignani noted the important outcomes of the 37th Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) that placed aviation ahead of all other industries in dealing with climate change. “Governments confirmed ICAO’s leadership role in managing aviation’s emissions and agreed on a collective aspirational goal to improve fuel efficiency by 2% to 2050, while capping emissions from 2020 with carbon-neutral growth. They also agreed to develop a framework for economic measures that minimize market distortions, treat air transport in line with other sectors, ensure that emissions are accounted for only once and recognize past and future efforts,” said Bisignani.

Montreal – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) applauded the 190 contracting states of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on achieving the first global governmental agreement with aspirational goals to stabilize carbon emissions. The achievement was formalized in a resolution of the 37th ICAO Assembly, which concluded its deliberations in Montreal today.

“Governments have taken an historic decision. For the first time, we have globally agreed aspirational goals to stabilize emissions. No other industry sector has a similar globally agreed framework for managing its response to climate change in a manner that takes into consideration the needs of both developed and developing states. Moreover, it recognizes the need for governments and industry to work together. This is a good first step that prepares the way for future achievements,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

The ICAO Resolution

The ICAO resolution calls for:

• Improving fuel efficiency by 2% annually to 2050
• Striving to achieve a collective medium-term aspirational goal of capping aviation’s carbon emissions from 2020
• A global CO2 standard for aircraft engines with a target date of 2013

The ICAO resolution also calls for the development of a global framework on market based (economic) measures by the 38th Assembly (2013) based on 15 agreed principles. These principles are designed to:

• Minimize market distortions
• Safeguard the fair treatment of aviation relative to other sectors
• Ensure that aviation’s emissions are accounted for only once and
• Recognize both past and future efforts of carriers

Closing the Gap with Industry

In 2007, IATA announced a vision for aviation to achieve carbon-neutral growth on the way to a carbon-free future with a four-pillar strategy based on technology investments, efficient infrastructure, effective operations and positive economic measures. In 2009, IATA’s membership committed to three goals: a 1.5% average annual improvement in fuel efficiency to 2020, capping net emissions with carbon-neutral growth from 2020 and cutting net emissions in half by 2050 compared to 2005.

The global aviation industry united around this approach, putting aviation at the forefront of industrial sectors responding to climate change. “The four-pillar strategy and targets are not just airline commitments. The entire aviation industry—airlines, airports, air navigation service providers and manufacturers—have made a common commitment that UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon commended as a role model for others to follow. Aviation takes its environmental responsibility seriously. With today’s agreement, governments have taken a significant step in support of the industry’s ambitions,” said Bisignani.

Bisignani addressed the gap in the industry’s commitment to a 1.5% average annual improvement in fuel efficiency and the ICAO goal of a 2% annual improvement. “We are confident that achieving a 1.5% average annual improvement in fuel efficiency is possible with efforts of the industry. The 2% ICAO goal means that governments must come to the table with much needed infrastructure improvements such as the Single European Sky or NextGen in the US,” said Bisignani.

Next Steps

The agreement’s principles on market based measures have implications for all governments with, or seeking to implement, environmental schemes or taxes. “In light of this agreement, all states should review any economic measures, planned or implemented, to conform to today’s agreed principles. The only effective long-term solution remains a global approach, which states agreed to work towards under ICAO’s leadership,” said Bisignani.

“We must recognize that a long journey still lies ahead. Industry’s ambitious targets are still ahead of governments. Our commitment to cut emissions in half by 2050 compared to 2005 remains the global benchmark. The entire aviation industry is committed to working under the leadership of ICAO as we move forward to achieve both the aspirations outlined in today’s agreement and the industry’s targets. We will take this strong message to the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change in Cancun later this year,” said Bisignani.

In addition to this global agreement on environment, the ICAO Assembly marked notable progress with a global declaration on security and a milestone agreement on sharing safety information among IATA, ICAO, the EU and the United States. “I congratulate the ICAO leadership for their hard work and leading role within the UN system. President Roberto Kobeh Gonzáles, Secretary General Raymond Benjamin, and Assembly President Harold Demuren have concluded a landmark Assembly with major achievements on the industry’s top priorities of safety, security and environmental leadership.”

Montreal – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged the governments of the world to reach an agreement on a global framework to manage international aviation’s emissions at the 37th Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

“The biggest challenge for this Assembly is to reach an agreement on a global solution to manage emissions from international aviation. A united aviation industry of airlines, airports, air navigation service providers, manufacturers and general aviation has made ambitious commitments to cap and eventually cut its emissions. To be successful, governments must endorse these commitments in a globally agreed framework,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO, to a group of delegates attending the ICAO Assembly in Montreal.

The aviation industry is united behind three targets: (1) a 1.5% average annual improvement in fuel efficiency to 2020, (2) capping net emissions from 2020 with carbon-neutral growth and (3) cutting emission in half by 2050 compared to 2005. “No other industrial sector has made such ambitious global commitments. Even UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon commended the aviation industry as a role model for other industries to follow,” said Bisignani.

Bisignani highlighted several key elements which could help facilitate global consensus:

• Place and Process: The Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Christiana Figueres, confirmed that ICAO is the forum for dealing with emissions from international aviation and that any agreement at ICAO would not, in any way, impact the position of any state on non-aviation issues discussed in the UNFCCC process.
• Developing Nations: Even within a global agreement, ICAO has a track record of accommodating the needs of developing states. For example, ICAO’s global framework for noise reduction included extended timelines for developing states.
• Growth: The industry’s global solution will facilitate growth and the economic benefits it brings even while reducing emissions. This will be achieved through the industry’s four- pillar strategy of investments in technology, more efficient infrastructure, more effective operations and globally coordinated positive economic measures.

“Major blockers are being removed. The industry is ready. And most governments agree that a global framework is needed. There are still some hurdles to overcome, but we are moving in the right direction,” said Bisignani who noted that important regional groupings and individual states have indicated their wish for an agreement.

The planned inclusion of aviation into the European emissions trading scheme in 2012 has helped to focus governments on the urgency of a global solution. “If this Assembly ends without an agreement, the next opportunity is 2013. In the meantime the industry would be faced with a growing patchwork of conflicting and overlapping measures. For example, against global opposition, Europe would have to try to move forward with its unilateral emissions trading scheme,” said Bisignani.

“No government or industry player will want to face the consequences of such a development. It would lead to a breakdown of the global standards on which global aviation was built, a patchwork of uncoordinated taxes and schemes, strained bilateral relations and serious challenges on sovereignty issues,” said Bisignani.

“The livelihoods of 32 million people and $3.5 trillion in economic activity depend on the success of global aviation. As leaders, everyone attending this Assembly has a great responsibility to continue building a safe, secure, efficient and sustainable future for this wonderful industry. The industry is committed to supporting governments in reaching agreement on a responsible solution for aviation and the environment. I am optimistic that we will be successful,” said Bisignani.

The ICAO Assembly will discuss environmental issues in its Executive Committee on Thursday 30 September with conclusions to be reported by the Assembly’s conclusion on 8 October.

Montreal – The International Air Transport Association (IATA), along with three governmental aviation safety organizations, today signed an agreement to launch the Global Safety Information Exchange. Creating a comprehensive global information exchange to improve safety is the most ambitious private/public safety partnership in aviation history.

IATA, together with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the US Department of Transportation (DOT), and the Commission of the European Union (EC), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to create the framework and path forward to launch the Global Safety Information Exchange. The MOU signing took place following the opening session of the ICAO Assembly and was signed by IATA Director General Giovanni Bisignani, ICAO Secretary General Raymond Benjamin, US DOT Secretary Ray LaHood, and EU Vice President Siim Kallas.

“Air is the safest way to travel. We achieved this level of safety precisely because governments and industry have cooperated transparently to identify risks and implement solutions. Today’s agreement takes the long history of cooperation to a new level by tearing down silos around the data that we have and sharpening our focus on the greatest risks to aviation safety,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

“We have a long history of working together with governments using global standards to lower the accident rate. In 1945, there were 9 million passengers and 247 fatalities. In 2009, 2.3 billion people flew with 685 fatalities. Every fatality is a human tragedy and reminds us that we must do better. Today’s agreement signals a new era of multilateral cooperation between industry and government to make the skies safer,” said Bisignani.

The four organizations will start their cooperation by selecting the safety information each group currently collects, which would be the most relevant to the goal of improving safety by risk reduction. IATA will make the largest contribution of airline data by providing de-identified information from the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) program. This will include de-identified information from the 345 airlines that are on the IOSA registry (230 IATA members and 115 non-members). IOSA sets the standard of safety for airlines and aggregated IOSA audit information will complement audit information from the other partners in developing global safety priorities.

A steering group will be formed and will have representatives from each of the four organizations. ICAO will act as the coordinator of the information exchange.

The 2009 global accident rate, measured in hull losses per million flights of Western-built jet aircraft, was 0.71. Through the first six months of 2010, the accident rate was 0.64. Compared to 10 years ago, the accident rate has been cut 36% from the 1.11 rate recorded in 2000.

Geneva – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urged AENA, the Spanish air navigation service provider, and the Spanish air traffic controllers to take all measures possible to avoid strike action. Specifically, Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO urged Spain’s air traffic controllers to accept AENA’s offer to enter into an arbitration process to resolve their differences.

“This is not the time for strikes. Arbitration is a fair, open and balanced means to settle the differences between AENA and the air traffic controllers. And it would avoid debilitating disruption to Spain’s economy,” said Bisignani.

“The global financial crisis and Europe’s ongoing debt crisis are challenging governments, employers and employees to change in order to build stronger and more robust economies. With 20% unemployment, Spain cannot be a spectator. The economy is weak and it can ill afford the devastating effects of an air traffic control strike on Spanish business, especially tourism,” said Bisignani.

“This is not just theory. When much of Europe’s air space closed for a few days as a result of the ash crisis, airlines lost $1.8 billion in revenue and the cost to economy is estimated at over $5 billion. Even the threat of a strike is seeing people changing plans to avoid Spanish destinations, airports and airspace. That’s lost money for the economy and puts Spanish jobs at risk. Agreeing to arbitration would remove the threat of a strike and restore passenger confidence,” said Bisignani.

After decades of discussion, Europe is finally moving forward with some key elements of the Single European Sky. Uniting Europe’s air space is critical. Each year, the efficiencies generated will save over EUR 5 billion in costs, reduce delays by millions of minutes and reduce CO2 emissions by 16 million tonnes. Many of the changes under contention between AENA and the air traffic controllers are associated with the preparations for Spain to benefit from the Single European Sky.

“Over the last decade, every industry has been challenged to change and to improve efficiency. Airlines improved productivity by 63% but, as the bankruptcy of Mexicana proves, the industry is fragile and even more change is needed. Changes in telecoms, automobiles or pharmaceuticals have all been massive, often times painful, but absolutely necessary to survive. AENA too must change to ensure that Spain has cost-efficient air connectivity to power its economy. The burden of this change includes the controllers,” said Bisignani.