Great strides have been made in aviation safety. Roughly speaking, traffic has grown twice as fast as world GDP (gross domestic product). And safety in relation to the number of hours flown has continued to improve. The result: over the last twenty years, while air traffic has doubled worldwide, the number of accidents has remained virtually unchanged in absolute terms. In 2003, for example, the number of fatal accidents per 100 million kilometres travelled was 0.02.<\/p>\n
In their concern for enhanced safety, travel managers are able to select the most 'serious' companies. But they have no control over external factors such as weather conditions or the ability of air traffic control agencies to ensure that minimum standards are respected by the countries over which they fly, or even those where they land. In particular, in this area, not all emerging countries have succeeded in catching up with the best performing regions, whether in Europe, North America or Asia. You only have to look on the Internet at specialised sites listing aircraft accidents to see that they are more frequent in certain high-risk areas.<\/p>\n
Without dwelling on an air safety system that resembles a veritable mille-feuille, this effort begins with the action taken by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Created in 1944, this specialised UN agency exercises its authority over States by setting minimum standards for aircraft maintenance and the organisation of air transport, which each country must ensure that airlines registered on its territory comply with. In France, this task is the responsibility of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC). Alongside ICAO, there are regional organisations such as the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Beyond that, there is a voluntary level, which this time concerns carriers. By joining the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the 261 members which account for 94 % of international air transport undertake to be registered for the IOSA audit. All the association's new members - five in 2006 - will have to undergo this famous audit by the end of the year.<\/p>\n
In order to assess a carrier, this audit covers the areas of organisation, safety, flight operations, ground handling, maintenance and flight preparation. \"Taking safety very seriously, our association has set high objectives for our members to adopt the best practices in the aviation industry in this area\", emphasises Anthony Concil, IATA's Director of Communications. Created in 2003, the IOSA programme has become the first universal standard for air transport safety management. At the end of last year, 97 % of IATA member airlines had registered for an IOSA audit, and to date 131 airlines are IOSA certified. Valid for only two years, this certification then requires a new compliance audit. For some observers, this is a way of drawing up a \"white list\" of airlines. And when airlines are too new or do not have sufficient financial resources to afford this costly audit, they can turn to the Partnership for Safety programme. In other words, \"partnerships for safety\" in the name of international solidarity. For example, African airlines can count on Royal Air Maroc (RAM), which is already IOSA-certified, to feature on this list, which is available on the IATA website: www.iata.org.<\/p>\n
\"In a field where there is no such thing as zero risk, it is not only the quality of the airline that guarantees safety. This criterion must be combined with others, in particular the quality of maintenance and crew training\", explains Yves Lambert, former Secretary General of the ICAO.<\/p>\n
However, since the widespread introduction of jet aircraft, enormous progress has been made, thanks to the modelling made possible by computer technology. \"The result is that when aircraft are built, including the A380 and Dassault's 7X, they have already flown on the computer screens of the manufacturers,\" says one specialist.<\/p>\n
As for the major traditional or low-cost airlines spread around the world, they have centres to train pilots according to the strictest criteria to enable them to fly a particular type of aircraft. In Europe, these include Air France-KLM and British Airways. Near Helsinki, Finnair trains its own pilots and those of other airlines in simulators that replicate real-life flight conditions: cabin movement imitating movements and accelerations, noise, vibrations and realistic visualisation of the outside environment.<\/p>\n
Whether they are undergoing initial or further training, pilots are installed in a cabin that is identical in every respect to that of the real aircraft. This is to enable them to carry out any mission or to familiarise them with the take-off and landing conditions at an existing airport. For instructors, it's a way of analysing pilots' reactions and measuring their response time.<\/p>\n
During these exercises, the aim is to review all aspects of safety and to rehearse procedures in normal or degraded conditions: engine failure, smoke in the cockpit, aberration in the information provided to pilots, for example. An accident is generally the result of a chain of several causes.<\/p>\n
Whether they are scheduled or chartered flights, traditional airlines, charters or even low-cost carriers, all the players involved are doing their utmost to improve safety. Given the progress made on the technical front, there is still room for improvement in terms of \"human factors\". Safety encompasses a number of disciplines, including man-machine relations, teamwork within the crew, and collaboration between on-board and on the ground. \"Whether flight conditions are normal or not, the objective is for all the human players in this complex chain to be even better equipped to work together,\" concludes Yves Lambert. This is an ongoing challenge.<\/p>\n
Despite these initiatives, there are still many countries that need to improve their own systems. As we have seen, at international level, the standards are defined by the ICAO, which brings together 188 States. Strict control of compliance by carriers remains the exclusive responsibility of the States, which do not all have the means or the will to do so.<\/p>\n
\"More than international flights, it is very often domestic flights in these areas that pose a problem\", notes one specialist. Imagine having to transport around fifty French technicians to the oil fields in Cabinda, Angola and Pointe-Noire. Or workers in Sudan. As the transport has to be carried out by companies registered in these countries, these companies will be particularly concerned about the safety of their employees. Because of the fragmentation of control structures and the low level of maintenance of some equipment, there are also questions to be asked if you are travelling to the heart of Central Asia or to the countries of the former Soviet bloc.<\/p>\n
Since the end of December, by virtue of a safeguard clause imposed by the European Commission, Bulgarian airlines have no longer been authorised to operate flights within the Union, such as a Dublin-Nice route. However, they can still fly from Sofia to Paris or any other European airport. However, in order to strengthen air safety controls, the Bulgarian authorities have just withdrawn the certificate of airworthiness from 160 aircraft or helicopters. A new audit is needed to lift this safeguard clause.<\/p>\n
While Brussels has already published a blacklist of airlines that have not been awarded the label, France is taking a further step by introducing the Horizon Assess Air label. Following an assessment audit carried out by Afaq Afnor Certification, the first three airlines to be awarded the label operate passenger services in Mediterranean countries: Aigle Azur, Air M\u00e9diterran\u00e9e and Europe Airpost. Other applications are being examined and should be successful. \"For the companies awarded the label, the high standards of the Horizon label represent a sign of excellence on the air transport market, and for passengers, a guarantee that they will comply with the specifications in terms of safety standards, transparency of information and quality of services during the journey\", explains Ren\u00e9-Marc Chikli, Chairman of the Afaq Afnor Certification commission.<\/p>\n
Non-scheduled flights are chartered through brokers. Examples include Air Partner, which has ISO 9001 certification, and Pro Sky, a member of IATA. \"Half of the flights we charter in France are one-off flights for group travel by the staff of major French or Anglo-Saxon industrial groups\", explains Gilles Meynard, Managing Director of Air Partner France. When selecting aircraft, these professionals are naturally interested in the airline's ability to guarantee passenger safety. They generally select 80 % European aircraft, as defined by the European Union. Of this total, two-thirds are French aircraft. This figure can rise to 95 % for Greater Europe, i.e. the countries of the European continent, including Turkey. The safety challenge therefore concerns all players in the air transport industry.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"