Safety Management is a proactive way to pursue the mitigation of safety risks and improve safety performance. Safety Management System (SMS) provides aviation stakeholders with a framework to support effective risk-based decision-making in an organization. 

SMS continues to evolve. As such, IATA continues to support industry stakeholders across the globe with SMS implementation, as well as to facilitate a consistent understanding between service providers and states on the intent and application of safety management requirements. 

IATA Safety Issue Review Meeting

The next Safety Issue Review Meeting, SIRM 30, will take place on March 20-21 at the IATA offices in Montreal. 

Call for presentations

Participants’ presentations are key to the SIRM agenda.  We therefore strongly encourage participants to consider making 20-40-minute presentations. We would be particularly interested in presentations around the following topics: ​​​​​​​

  • Managing safety in a complex aviation environment (e.g.: SMS, Just Culture, Safety Culture, data-sharing and protections)
  • Energy Storage Devices (e.g. lithium batteries)
  • Ground Handling (e.g.: loading errors)
  • GNSS outages
  • Skill shortage
  • Runway Safety (e.g.: performance calculations, unstable approaches)
  • Automation and the threat for safety (e.g.: transition to single pilot operations, AI trustworthiness, automation of ground handling).

In addition, any safety‑related issues you have encountered in your organization, along with related mitigation strategies and lessons-learned, would be of great value to the SIRM participants. 

If you would like to present at the SIRM30, please include details within your registration.

The meeting
The Safety Issue Review Meeting is a biannual meeting, created in 2006 and managed by IATA and our member airlines through the Safety Group. The intent of the Safety Issues Review Meeting (SIRM) is to encourage an open venue for aviation safety specialists to present and discuss incidents/accidents, identified hazards, emerging concerns and academic studies/concepts with practical application.  The lessons-learned from these presentations can then be taken back by the attendees to their respective organization for review and integration into Safety Management activities as applicable.

Meeting participants
The meeting is open to safety professionals from:

  • airlines
  • original equipment manufacturers
  • ground service providers
  • airports and air navigation service providers
  • invited subject matter experts from academia, pilot associations and other relevant industry stakeholders. 

Important to know
We encourage participants to present identified safety concerns or hazards that have not necessarily resulted in an accident or incident.  Relevant safety-related studies are welcomed as well.

The SIRM is held under the Chatham House Rule, to create a protected, confidential environment for industry to discuss safety risks, hazards and lessons-learned from accidents and incidents, as well as to share results of safety studies. This allows a free and open exchange of information, ideas, and concepts, which enhances the SIRM experience for all attendees.

Meeting bulletins
Following each meeting, bulletins are issued summarizing the topics and issues presented during the meeting, as well as key takeaways, such as the hazards and associated risks, mitigations and lessons-learned. Information in the bulletins is de-identified, unless otherwise authorized by the presenting organization.

Safety Leadership

IATA Safety Leadership and Safety Culture activities aim to support IATA members and the wider aviation community in delivering a post-COVID industry restart with a clear focus on safety. Through these activities, IATA aims to promote learning, understanding and continuous improvement of organizational practices and behaviours that support the effective management of safety risks within all aviation service providers and regulators around the world.

Safety Culture 

We are convinced that a strong safety culture is a primary enabler of effective safety management. There is no point having all Safety Management System elements in place if they are not used.

The "I-ASC" (IATA Aviation Safety Culture) survey, specifically designed for aviation, provides insight into the challenges and risk areas of front line and management employees, as well as areas of improvement and hazards in safety performance. It also provides organizations with the means to meet ICAO Safety Management System (SMS) / State Safety Program (SSP) requirements to measure and continuously improve their safety culture.

Training Courses

Safety Management Systems (SMS) for Airlines (Classroom, 5 days)

Guidelines to align your operations with ICAO annex 19 SMS provisions and comply with industry requirements for personnel licensing, operation of aircraft and more. The systematic SMS approach ensures both safer operations and improved overall efficiency by managing organizational structure, staff accountabilities, policies and procedures. Developed in accordance with ICAO principles, this course helps you fulfill SMS requirements and establish a functional SMS within your operations.

Find out more about this course on the course page.

Safety Risk Management (Classroom, 3 days)

Safety risk management is a key component of a successful safety management system, required to assess the risks associated with identified hazards and to develop and implement effective mitigation. During this course review your safety risk management process according to the ICAO safety performance requirements. Learn how to improve your operational safety by correctly identifying hazards, providing effective controls to mitigate safety risks, and reducing equipment loss and damage.

Find out more about this course on the course page.

Safety Performance Indicators (Classroom, 3 days)

Through a step-by-step methodology, you will learn the foundations of Safety Performance Indicators (SPIs), how to practically develop them, as well as gain knowledge on the integration of safety objectives, SPIs and safety performance targets into an acceptable level of safety performance (ALoSP). This course introduces safety performance monitoring as the core activity within the safety assurance (SA) process of an airline safety management system (SMS) and provides a methodology to develop SPIs that meet the expectations of IOSA Standards and Recommended Practices (ISARPs) and ICAO Annex 19.

Find out more about this course on the course page.