Aviation activities and as a result Airport Activities are growing almost exponentially year on year, this is acting as a driver to support the need for the development of proactive Safety Management Systems, both ICAO and EASA have identified the requirement for the effective implementation of an Airport wide Safety Management System (SMS for Airports).
The use of SMS within the airport environment can contribute by enabling airports to detect exposure and to develop mitigation’s which can correct safety problems before they result in negative consequences meaning aircraft accidents or incidents.
The application of a systematic, proactive, and well-defined safety program (as is inherent in a SMS) allows an dispersed organization (specifically our Airport Environment) to strike a realistic and efficient balance between safety and production.
To manage the forecasted growth in air transportation in the safest possible way will require new measures and a greater effort from all aviation stakeholders—including airport operators—in order to achieve a continuing improvement in the level of aviation safety.
The use of SMS at airports can contribute to this effort by increasing the likelihood that airport operators will detect and correct safety problems before those problems result in an aircraft accident or incident.
As we come to terms with trying to understand the effectiveness of or Airport SMS, we need to ask several relevant questions:
Are we drawing the correct lessons from the actual line experiences and are we developing the appropriate mitigation’s?
– Are all stakeholders in the airport system involved constructively in SMS Implementation and ongoing management process?
– Do the “stakeholders” willingly embrace SMS obligations and activities or is there (any) element of resentment ?– means examination of the culture.
– Is the SMS active – and not just documented? – means an adequate flow of data identifying exposures across the Airport Environment.
We also need to be able to confirm the following:
a) SMS is a top down system however without full management accountability and ownership we will be challenged;
b) Do all stakeholders actively participate?;
c) Do we have a documented agreement between the various parties?;
d) Do we have a confidential reporting system, supported by a just and fair culture?;
e) Effective Marketing and Communication throughout every element and aspect of the business process;
f) Can we demonstrate full ownership of any SMS related issues?;
g) Do we have a training and oversight process which drives safe effective and efficient practices?
Sofema Aviation Services offers a range of EASA compliant vocational and regulatory training. For any comments or questions please email office@sassofia.com
