Gulf airlines among the safest in 2013
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Last year was among the safest on record for the aviation industry, with UAE carriers among the best performers on this front.
Safety and security was a focal point at the second Aviation Safety Culture Summit, which was hosted by Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA) in Dubai recently.
Attended by 250 delegates, the event highlighted that the uniform policies and co-operation between regulators and operators and air services suppliers have led to significant improvements in aviation safety in the UAE, positioning the country as a regional leader in safety culture within the industry.
It was revealed at the summit that 2013 was the safest year on record with regards to the number of fatalities and second-safest year for the number of accidents worldwide, with UAE airlines proving to be amongst the safest in the world.
Casting an eye across the Gulf region however, calls were made for improvements to air safety.
In a keynote address kicking off the two-day event, Abdulrahman Altayeb, vice president of maintenance at Saudi Arabian Airlines, asked GCC countries to join together to demand higher levels of maintenance specifically aimed at dealing with the region’s harsh, dusty conditions.
“We must join forces to put pressure on MROs, aircraft and engine manufacturers to offer real improvement in dealing with our environment,” he said.
With 70 per cent of its business coming from domestic flights; Altayeb said 30 to 40 per cent of Saudia Airlines’ delays were caused by maintenance issues caused by the harsh environment.
“Every airline wants three simple things from MRO: lower cost, higher quality and quicker turnaround time. MRO suppliers must adopt a continuous improvement approach to help airlines survive,” he suggested.
Altayeb’s words were echoed by Ashish Jain, senior vice president of group safety & security at Qatar Airways said; “Companies need to take a business-like approach to safety. We need to continue improving our methods of capturing data, reporting incidents, and managing our safety information through detailed analysis and insight.”
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