Since 2006, registration with the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) program has been a mandatory requirement for membership of IATA, and there are now 417 operators registered - over a third more than IATA members. Every two years, registered airlines are audited against the global industry standard for airline operational safety, and IOSA-registered operators outperform non-registered carriers with significantly lower accident rates. In 2022, 0.7 accidents per million sectors were recorded for IOSA-registered airlines, compared to 2.82 accidents per million sectors for those not registered.
With such great results, maintaining forward momentum in safety required being able to fine-tune our approach. Risk-based IOSA is being introduced to enable carriers to break out of the box of compliance and set the scene for continuous improvement. Going beyond the checklist that ensures minimum safety standards are met across the breadth of airline operations, risk-based IOSA will assess how well an airline manages safety, and provide a safety evaluation based on industry priorities and critical airline operations. The information obtained from risk-based audits will help airlines and the industry stay on top of evolving safety risks, and will enable the airline to continuously improve its safety - and quality-management performance.
Whether your organization is already registered with the program or considering doing so, you no doubt have many questions. This podcast, bringing together Head of the IOSA program Serkan Simitcioglu, and Senior Product Manager, Safety Oversight and Flight Operations Training, John Webster, has answers to your most pressing queries.