Safety data-sharing accord reached at ICAO conference

The ICAO High-Level Safety Conference in Montreal was the site of a "milestone agreement" among ICAO, FAA, the EC and IATA that the airline trade group called "the first step to creating a global information exchange to improve aviation safety."

The Declaration of Intent will involve data collected through audit programs conducted by the four bodies. "We must understand safety trends, not just from the handful of accidents each year, but by bringing together and analyzing data from millions of safe flights. With this we can take more effective action to reduce risks and improve safety performance," IATA DG and CEO Giovanni Bisignani said.

The four groups will be working on standardizing safety audit information, along with compliance with local privacy laws, for the next 12-18 months. ICAO said it would be charged with "coordinating the integration of the safety information provided by the international community as well as for the dissemination of safety intelligence." It plans to convene a committee "to define and harmonize safety metrics, associated data requirements and analysis processes."

The group also will develop a way to make "relevant" safety information available to the general public.