Brussels, 19/12/2012 (Agence Europe) - The Commission wants to make better use of data collected on aviation incidents in order further to reinforce safety in the European skies. On Wednesday 19 December, it proposed a raft of new rules to bring air accidents to a minimum.
Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas said, “we have a responsibility to do everything we can to prevent accidents”, and “these new rules will contribute to achieving this goal.” He added that “the European Union is and must remain a leading region for aviation safety in the world.” It appears that the member states do not pay enough attention to aviation accidents, do not coordinate their actions in the matter and do not put these to use in the service of safety.
The new rules aim to ensure awareness of the real or potential risks of aviation by improving the collection and use of data. They also aim to create a climate which is conducive for employees in the aviation sector to report on these incidents. This, in the view of Burkhart Kaumanns, Director of Technical Affairs at the European Cockpit Association, is the right approach. “When it comes to air safety, the facts, the 'what' and the 'why' are infinitely more important than the 'who'”, he explained.
The new rules provide for the data collected to be duly analysed, for the necessary initiatives to be taken and their effectiveness to be monitored. The chairman of the European pilots' association states that this will make it possible to transfer attention from a primarily “reactive” system to a proactive system based on evidence and risk.
The raft of measures should also encourage the member states to share the information collected, and to ensure that this is used solely for safety purposes. (MD/transl.fl)