Voluntary safety audit programme launched for non-IATA members

A voluntary safety audit programme was today launched by global airlines body International Air Transport Association (IATA) for carriers which are not part of the grouping.
The programme, IATA Standard Safety Assessment (ISSA), has been created primarily for airlines that operate aircraft which have a lower maximum take-off weight and is aligned with the global best practices, IATA said in a release today.
"There is a clear need to ensure that operators of all types of equipment have robust safety infrastructure in place, validated by an operational safety evaluation.
"ISSA, which is based on International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) provisions, enables the industry to address the need for a global operational safety standard for operators that are not eligible for IOSA," IATA director general and chief executive Tony Tyler said.

IATA is confident that the new voluntary safety audit mechanism will deliver positive benefits in the same manner as has IOSA, he said.
IATA Operational Safety Audit program (IOSA) is an internationally recognised and accepted evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline.

All IATA members are IOSA registered.
However, domestic carrier IndiGo, which is not an IATA member, is the only budget carrier in the country which has met IOSA safety standards.
ISSA helps airline operators to conform to global safety standards and best practices and provides them with an opportunity to evaluate and improve their existing operational and management control systems.

The programme also introduces elements of safety management system (SMS), it said, adding additionally, assessments will be performed by IOSA Accredited Audit Organizations.
ISSA is also an alternative for airlines, such as some private charters whose business model does not allow conformity with IOSA's standards, the release said.