IATA outlines three safety priorities at global conference in Xiamen

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) opened its World Safety and Operations Conference (WSOC) in Xiamen, China, highlighting three key priorities for global aviation safety: defending and evolving international standards, strengthening safety culture through leadership, and leveraging data to enhance operational performance.

Mark Searle, IATA’s Global Director of Safety, warned that conflicts, airspace restrictions, and rising GNSS interference are adding new layers of complexity to airline operations. “Ensuring aviation remains the safest mode of transport requires strong leadership, robust adherence to global standards, and smarter use of data,” he said.

Defending and Advancing Global Standards

IATA stressed that strict adherence to ICAO standards is vital as new risks emerge. Priorities include:

• GNSS interference: Reports up 200% since 2021. IATA and EASA’s GNSS Resilience Plan calls for global monitoring, backup systems, and stronger civil–military coordination.

• Radio spectrum protection: Expanding 5G and 6G networks are creating interference risks near airports; IATA urged closer coordination with telecom regulators.

• Faster accident reports: Only 58% of accidents (2019–2023) have produced final reports; IATA called for compliance with Annex 13 reporting timelines.

Data-Driven Safety Enhancements

IATA’s Global Aviation Data Management (GADM) programme enables predictive safety insights through real-time data sharing. Key initiatives include:

• Turbulence Aware: Used by 3,200 aircraft from airlines such as Air France, Etihad, and SAS to share live turbulence data.

• SafetyIS: Predictive analytics identifying early risk patterns, such as collision alerts.

• Risk-based IOSA: Over 8,000 corrective actions already implemented based on tailored audit findings.

Leadership and Safety Culture

IATA emphasised that leadership commitment underpins a strong safety culture. Two major initiatives support this goal:

• The Safety Leadership Charter, now covering 90% of global traffic, promotes eight core leadership principles.

• IATA Connect, an information platform linking 5,600 users across 600 organisations, centralises safety documentation and best practices.

“By focusing on leadership, standards, and data, we can build a safer and more resilient global aviation system prepared for tomorrow’s challenges,” said Searle.