IATA calls for ‘deeper understanding’ between aviation industry and governments
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The International Air Transport Industry (IATA) has advocated for a deeper partnership with governments based on global standards in the critical areas of safety, infrastructure, security, regulation, and environment.
“Aviation is built on partnerships and the relationship with governments is key. Airlines and governments are well-aligned on safety. But in other areas of government responsibility – infrastructure, security, regulation, and environment – there are opportunities for a deeper partnership,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s director general and CEO.
The call came in Tyler’s Report on the Air Transport Industry to the 71st IATA Annual General Meeting and World Air Transport Summit, which is being held this week in Miami.
This year some 3.5 billion people and 55 million tonnes of cargo will travel by air over a global network of 51,000 routes. Airlines directly employ 2.5 million people and support another 56 million jobs in the industry’s value chain. Its role as a catalyst of economic growth is evident as some $6 trillion of goods find their way to global markets via air transport.
“For nations, connectivity is much more than a competitive advantage. It is an economic necessity. And aviation’s intangible benefits make it a force for good in the world. So there is a tremendous common interest with governments to support safe, efficient, and sustainable global connectivity that only air transport can provide,” said Tyler.
Working with governments through the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Tyler said significant progress had been made with issues raised as a result of the MH 370 and MH 17 tragedies. A 15-minute position reporting standard is being developed and governments are working together to share security information more effectively. “We will not be satisfied until the outrage of MH 17 is fully addressed in a global convention to control the design, manufacture, sale and deployment of weapons with anti-aircraft capability,” said Tyler.
The findings of the full investigation on the Germanwings 9525 tragedy will see “regulators and industry looking at the balance needed to monitor the mental health of crew in an environment aligned with the non-punitive Just Culture that drives safety forward,” said Tyler.
Tyler warned against a rush to judgment or regulation in the immediate aftermath of accidents, even in an age where news is unbridled and ubiquitous. “We must not allow anything to undermine the well-established accident investigation standards and processes, which lead to findings that improve safety,” said Tyler.
“We seek to work in partnership with governments based on the global principles that they have agreed through ICAO. Transparency and consultation will ensure that what is built matches business needs at a price that is affordable and mutually beneficial.”
Tyler noted several critical infrastructure challenges where more alignment is needed, including finding a solution to expand airport capacity in the Southeast of the UK.
Tyler expressed the industry’s longstanding frustration at the slow pace of progress on the Single European Sky (SES). “The initiative languishes. States are paralysed by self-interested national organisations, which show no regard for the impact of their inefficiency on economies or consumers,” said Tyler.
Three key areas were identified for urgent action by governments:
* Known traveller programmes: Linking these programmes across borders;
* Advance Passenger Information: Harmonising requirements around ICAO standards and aligning processes to eliminate redundant paper documentation and reduce queuing times;
* Cargo security: Driving efficiency through harmonised processes facilitated by global standards created through cooperation between IATA, ICAO and the World Customs Organisation.
IATA advocates for Smarter Regulation aligned with global standards. “Our message is that regulation needs to be Smarter. To start, the benefits of any regulation must outweigh its costs. It should be consistent with global standards, proportional, well-targeted, fair, and clear about what is expected. These common sense principles are best achieved through a process of rigorous consultation that includes a focus on keeping the compliance burden to a minimum,” said Tyler.
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