Risk-based Approach to Improving Global Aviation Safety

Improving the safety of the global air transport system is ICAO’s guiding and most fundamental Strategic Objective. The Organization works constantly to address and enhance global aviation safety outcomes through the following coordinated activities:

• Policy and Standardization initiatives
• Monitoring of key safety trends and indicators
• Safety Analysis
• Implementing programmes to address safety issues.

In every case these activities are augmented by ICAO’s detailed appraisal of global aviation safety metrics on the basis of established risk management principles - a core tenet of contemporary State Safety Programmes (SSP) and Safety Management Systems (SMS). Applying these principles in the field of aviation safety requires the Organization to pursue a coherent and consistent process of objective analysis, both proactive and reactive as applicable, in particular when evaluating safety risks.

The inaugural 2011 State of Global Aviation Safety Report is intended to provide a high-level analysis of air transport safety trends and indicators. It is also a comprehensive account of the significant aviation safety programmes being undertaken by ICAO and its partners, highlighting the Organization’s important leadership role in fostering increased cooperation and innovation to enhance air transport safety outcomes worldwide.

Future ICAO Safety Reports will be published annually, providing ongoing updates to the air transport community on key safety indicators.

Summary

2010 saw a return to growth (4.5 %) as the total volume of scheduled commercial flights began to edge over 30 million per year.

The number of accidents attributed to scheduled commercial flights increased in 2010 to 121, compared to 113 in 2009. This resulted in an accident rate of 4.0 per million departures, a marginal increase compared to the accident rate of 3.9 per million departures in 2009. While the overall number of fatalities in 2010 was below those in 2005 and 2006, there has been an increase in fatalities over the past three years. This trend serves as a reminder that cooperation between the various stakeholders is a key part of reducing the number of aviation accidents and related fatalities.

ICAO is working in partnership with the international aviation community to achieve continuous reductions in the global accident rate, with an emphasis to improve safety performance in those regions experiencing significantly higher accident rates or having specific safety challenges. This State of Global Aviation Safety report provides a summary of key indicators that define the scope and nature of the safety issues within global air transportation system, as well as an overview of the collaborative safety initiatives undertaken to address them at the global, regional and national levels.

The ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme) continues to promote the systematic implementation of ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs). As of the end of 2010, the USOAP had completed assessments of 93% of ICAO Member States, accounting for 99% of the traffic flown.

Cooperation has been a consistent goal and recognized strength of the aviation community. To keep pace with expansion and progress sector-wide, ICAO remains focused on the implementation and development of new safety initiatives. The Safety Collaborative Assistance Networks (SCAN), the Runway Safety Programme and Fatigue Risk Management Systems are only a few examples of how ICAO is working with stakeholders to identify and eliminate hazards.

2011 State of Global Aviation Safety Report - full text

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