Aviation safety has improved but challenges remain, experts say
Only slightly more than half of respondents in a recent survey said they believed flight safety has improved in the last five years, delegates attending the World Aviation Safety Summit in Dubai heard yesterday.
But Alan Peaford, summit chairman and UK aviation expert, said in an opening address that the latest global aviation statistics compiled by the industry show flying is still the safest form of travel.
Despite a barrage of tragic attacks and incidents in 2016 at airports and in cities, Peaford pointed out that flying is “five times safer than it was a decade ago”. However, Peaford noted there remain challenges for airlines with international crews of different nationalities such as language barriers, an issue that was raised in a report commissioned by the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority.
The report was done following concerns that pilots and crew who lack proficiency in English language may inadvertently through miscommunication cause safety issues.
“For the safety of the UK travelling public, it is imperative that all pilots and controllers working in international aviation have the proficiency to communicate clearly and succinctly in all situations, routine and non-routine,” the report stated.
Captain Mark Burtonwood, Emirates senior vice-president-Safety, noted in his speaker session ‘Safety ... Thee Big Sell’ that the airline has more than 65,000 employees of 160 nationalities. He acknowledged that language barriers and cultural differences are challenges to overcome and said the airline “really pushes face-to-face training ... we do lots of sharing”.
A raft of learning “is all part and parcel of our armoury when we are selling safety to our employees”, Burtonwood said in his presentation.