In reaction to the tragic air crashes in Colombia and Pakistan within one week in which 118 people died, the Director General and CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Alexander de Juniac, has called for the improvement of safety and security in the air transport industry.
He also spoke about the need for government to collaborate and intensify efforts to ensure efficient security system at airports in the face of terror attacks and insider threats.
In his remark at the IATA Global Media Day in Geneva, Switzerland on Thursday, de Juniac noted that the success of global aviation rests on safety, security, sustainability and in meeting global standards.
He said that flying is safe, but it is not free from accidents, observing that in the last one week, “We have had two tragedies, one in Pakistan and the other in Colombia,” adding that every accident makes the association more determined to make the industry safer.
The IATA CEO said along with the desire to improve safety in air operation is also the desire to improve security at airports, noting that over the last year two airports have been attacked, there was an attempt to bomb a jet airliner, which failed and terrorists had laid claim to downing an aircraft and “popular tourist destinations have seen bloodshed.’
“Flying is secure. I fly with confidence and you should too. But there are risks and challenges and these include insider threats, landside exposure at airports, overflight of conflict zones, and cyber security. Efficient airport checkpoints are important. And our smart security programme is making them more effective and convenient. But that alone is not enough to stay a step ahead of those who could do us harm.” De Juniac said.
He said a recent UN Security Council Resolution should remind governments that keeping aviation secure is integral to a state’s responsibility for national security, adding that governments can and must do more by upping the game on intelligence gathering and sharing vital information among themselves and with the industry, “that is the only way that terrorists can be kept away from airports and aircraft.”
De Juniac emphasized that safety, security, sustainability and global standards are at the core of aviation’s existence, remarking that while respecting these critical items, airlines must run efficient businesses and generate enough surplus to reward their shareholders.
“I know from first-hand experience how difficult that is. In fact, if we look at aviation’s history, we have a pretty poor record when it comes to profitability,” he said.
However, De Juniac also acknowledged that in recent years there have been improvement in airlines’ profitability and the net profits have been generated in every year by airlines since 2010.
“That is impressive considering that oil prices averaged at or above $100 per barrel of Brent for three of those years. The transformation of the industry in recent years is making airlines better businesses and it is helping airlines to better serve the nearly four billion travellers we expect in 2017,” he said.
