Establishing standard safety protocols for aviation in the region will be one of the key objectives of the first ever Aviation Safety Culture conference to be held in Dubai later this month.
“Because aviation is so vital to today’s economy, potential flight risks need to be eliminated or minimized to prevent costly and tragic consequences,” Mohammed Abdulla Ahli, Director General, Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, who will make the opening, said.
“There is no question that aviation safety is today at an exceptionally high level, but that isn’t to say that there isn’t room forimprovement,” he said. “We are delighted to present and host this event which we are confident will provide an important platform for deliberation as to the ways and means to moving to the next level and more importantly instilling a culture of safety within everyone involved in this industry.”
Being held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), Chairman of Dubai Airports and Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group and supported by Dubai Airports as well as Emirates Airlines, up to 300 regional aviation officials – representing airports, airlines, regulators and industry stakeholders – will convene for the conference.
The subsequent two-day summit will comprise a series of panel discussions covering a range of topics, from the evolution of global aviation safety culture and integrating safety and culture with world class safety management system to the commercial advantages of safety culture. Deliberations will be coupled with reviews of the some of the latest safety products and technologies from industry leaders Boeing and Honeywell.
Dr. Nicklas Dahlstrom, Human Factor Manager at Emirates Airlines whose presentation is entitled ‘So You Want a Safety Culture? Going beyond the surface of the system’, says that there is no single definition of Safety Culture that easily explains what it is and nor is a Safety Culture something that can be bolted onto an organisation.
“An understanding of any culture require an in-depth understanding of human behaviour and Safety Culture is no different as it will be affected by the national, organisational and professional cultures of the individuals and groups in the organisation,” he said. “Building a Safety Culture that guides every employee in their decisions and actions thus goes beyond the implementation of rules and recommendations to guide their work. This summit provides an ideal opportunity to influence leaders in the region in regards to the width and depth of the benefits and challenges of building a Safety Culture.”
Organisers, Streamline Marketing Group, commented that the ‘by invitation only’ event has seen tremendous response from applicants who are eager to join the discussion raise the safety bar for aviation in the region.Support has also come in terms of regional and global sponsors including Air BP, Boeing, Honeywell, AAL Group, Malakut and Maximus Air.
Carolyn Lewis, Project Director for Aviation Safety Culture, hopes that the summit willbecome an annual, international recognised event. “Our vision is for this Summit to develop into a global safety congress where professionals from across the world and captains of industries across the globe come together, to Dubai, to share best practice about safety and security techniques.”