I-ASC: IATA Aviation Safety Culture Survey

What is I-ASC?

Developed specifically for the aviation industry by IATA, Cranfield University (UK) and Ipsos, I-ASC is an industry-wide comprehensive survey solution, designed to provide an impartial assessment to support aviation organizations in measuring and demonstrating continuous improvement of their safety culture.

Using a standardized methodology, I-ASC allows airlines to benchmark themselves against their peers across the industry and internally, all without committing internal resources. The survey evaluates nine key safety culture drivers, providing detailed quantitative and qualitative data, as well as expert analysis to guide improvements.

Even if you already conduct internal surveys, I-ASC adds value through industry-level benchmarking, advanced analytics, and expert guidance to help you interpret results and build targeted action plans.

How I-ASC supports you

• Make safety culture measurable: Assess nine specific drivers that offer a clear roadmap for improvement. Drill-down into each safety culture driver for deeper insights.
• Benchmark with confidence: Compare performance internally and against global peers to identify strengths and gaps.
• Reveal hidden risks: Gain honest, anonymous employee feedback to uncover safety risks before they lead to incidents.
• Build a smarter safety strategy: Leverage both quantitative metrics and qualitative insights to shape effective mitigations and improvement plans.
• Reach your global workforce: Deploy surveys in six ICAO languages (with additional options available) to maximize participation.
• Show your progress: Track improvements over time with consistent metrics that demonstrate ongoing commitment.
• Strengthen a safety-centric mindset: Foster a harmonized safety-first culture across all employee levels and organizational areas.

Essential features of the survey

To effectively elevate your organization's safety culture, the I-ASC Survey provides a comprehensive assessment tool grounded in industry standards. The survey includes 60 carefully designed statements aligned with the ICAO SMS framework and relevant IOSA Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and maturity assessment criteria , enabling organizations to evaluate their safety culture comprehensively.

It is aligned with core elements of the James Reason’s safety culture model, and the Hudson Safety Culture Maturity Model.

Standard attributes include hierarchy groups and IOSA organizational sections for airlines.  I-ASC offers a degree of flexibility, with custom attributes, such as , region, years of service, contract type, subsidiaries (relevant for larger organizations and airline groups) and more, helping you pinpoint focus areas and tailor your interventions.

To cater to your organization’s specific needs, further customization is available.

Why benchmarking matters

Benchmarking isn't just about industry comparison—it’s a strategic tool. By evaluating safety performance across internal departments, subsidiaries and against peer organizations, you gain the clarity needed to focus resources where they’ll have the most impact.

Flexible options to fit your needs

Whether you're looking for a quick check-in or long-term cultural change, I-ASC offers three flexible packages designed to match your goals and resources. All options include access to IATA’s standardized questionnaire and deliver results you can act on. Choose the level of support and customization that’s right for your organization:

• I-ASC Light: A fast, budget-friendly option for internal pulse checks. Includes access to the online dashboard, internal benchmarking, and self-guided interpretation of results.
• I-ASC Standard: A full-service package combining standard and custom questions, expert analysis, benchmarking, and facilitated action planning.
• I-ASC Custom: A tailored solution with post-survey consulting services such as safety strategy development, leadership coaching, and training.

What I-ASC participants are saying