Bearing in mind that the accident rate in commercial airlines marked a historic low in 2015The aviation industry is understandably somewhat complacent. And yet we are faced with a paradoxical situation. Often, a small number of accidents can have a negative influence on our opinion of safety, as it creates a exaggerated sense of security.
Today, the aviation industry is evolving much faster than safety regulations.
For all its glamour, aviation is actually a tremendously competitive business.This is perfectly acceptable as long as the industry does not draw the wrong conclusions from recent safety figures. The statistics published in the big headlines are well known, while few are aware of the many incidents which, for one reason or another, do not become accidents and therefore do not reach the public eye.
Aviation has learned many lessons of accidents and incidents over the last 100 years or so. The result has been a deep understanding of the physics and dynamics, as well as the risks associated with flying. Add to this the combination of constantly improving technology and training, and the high level of regulatory oversight, and the result is an incredibly safe means of transport. With a significant increase in air transport expected over the next decade, maintaining the current level of aviation security will be an even greater challenge.
As a result, regulators around the world are placing more emphasis on an organisation's safety performance, rather than simply verifying that procedures comply with regulations. The challenge is to ensure that performance data is accurate and that really give a true picture of the audited organisation. This is obviously resource intensive at a time of cutbacks in regulators' budgets. The current fixation on cost-cutting (disguised as efficiency) is leaving regulators without tools with which to intervene. In Europe this problem is exacerbated because national regulators are still trying to find the right balance to cope with the consequences of the creation of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and Community legislation.
At present, the aviation sector is evolving much faster than regulation. And, as a consequence, it is essential to ensure that regulation and oversight remain fit for purpose, otherwise regulators would find themselves applying outdated inspection philosophies. This could reduce safety levels in engineering and maintenance, as airlines are constantly looking for the cheapest contract, forcing maintenance organisations to meet a pre-determined price rather than a pre-determined level of service.
The recent statistics will serve as an encouragement to airlines. However, for the graduate engineers who maintain aircraft, this will undoubtedly manifest itself as a lack of consistency in the airlines' commitment to actually do what is expected of them in the area of safety, especially if it comes at a cost.
The challenge will be to achieve airlines not to forget what is important. Despite all the safety improvements achieved over the last century, the slightest error can still have catastrophic consequences. The challenge for aviation will therefore be to continue to improve its safety culture with the aim of eliminating accidents and reducing the number of incidents. After all, flying is good for business.
