Representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the airline industry, and labor organizations convened on Monday to discuss safety practices and explore ways to enhance safety in the world's busiest air transportation system. The meeting took place at the FAA's headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau emphasized the importance of continuous improvement in aviation safety. "Commercial airline travel remains the safest form of transportation in world history," he stated. "But the last three months drove home that we need to do more, we need to be better, and we need to do it together."
The roundtable focused on several key topics, including how airlines utilize Safety Management Systems (SMS) to manage risks associated with airspace complexities. Participants also discussed potential applications of artificial intelligence for hazard identification and risk prediction, as well as how SMS and safety culture work together in risk management.
Specific discussions included analyzing airports with helicopter routes near airplane traffic, integrating artificial intelligence into the Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) system for data analysis, exploring new methods for assessing airspace complexities, and evaluating the effectiveness of safety culture and SMS.
The FAA plans to continue engaging with industry stakeholders through regular forums such as the Commercial Aviation Safety Team and InfoShare.
Monday's forum included representatives from various airlines, Airlines for America, the Regional Airline Association, the Cargo Airline Association, Association of Value Airlines, and National Air Traffic Controllers Association.
This event is part of a series of safety forums hosted by the FAA. Previous events have addressed general aviation call-to-action initiatives, rotorcraft safety roundtables, improvements in airman medical processes, and ramp worker safety discussions.
