The International Air Transport Association (IATA) yesterday announced the launch of the IATA Safety Leadership Charter at the IATA World Safety and Operations Conference taking place in Hanoi, Vietnam. Safety leaders from more than 20 airlines are the first signatories, including Ethiopian Airlines, British Airways, Air India, Air Canada, Qantas Group as well as Qatar Airways. 

The Safety Leadership Charter is aimed at strengthening organisational safety culture through a commitment to eight key safety leadership guiding principles. It was developed in consultation with IATA members and the wider aviation community to support industry executives in evolving a positive safety culture within their organisations.

“Leadership matters. It’s the strongest factor affecting safety behaviour. By signing up to the IATA Safety Leadership Charter, these industry leaders are visibly demonstrating their commitment to the criticality of safety culture within their airlines and the need to continuously build on the work that has gone before,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general.

Safety Leadership Guiding Principles include leading the obligation to safety through both words and actions, fostering safety awareness among employees, the leadership team and the board, and creating an atmosphere of trust, where all employees feel responsible for safety and are encouraged and expected to report safety-related information. 

“Commercial aviation has benefitted from over 100 years of safety advances that inspire us to raise the bar even higher. The commitment and drive by aviation leaders for continuous safety improvement is a longstanding pillar of commercial aviation that has made flying the safest form of long-distance travel. Signing this charter honours the achievements that should give everyone the highest confidence when flying and sets a powerful and timely reminder that we can never be complacent on safety,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s senior vice president of operations, safety and security.