The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has identified three key priorities to enhance aviation safety and operational resilience: strengthening global standards, promoting a robust safety culture through leadership, and leveraging data to improve performance.

Speaking at the opening of the World Safety and Operations Conference (WSOC) in Xiamen, IATA’s Global Director of Safety, Mark Searle, said the global aviation environment has become increasingly complex amid rising geopolitical tensions and regulatory fragmentation. “Airspace closures, drone incursions, and growing GNSS interference have disrupted connectivity and threatened safety,” Searle noted. “Ensuring aviation remains the safest mode of transport requires strong leadership, adherence to global standards, and smarter use of data.”

Defending and Advancing Global Standards

IATA underscored the need to uphold and evolve international standards to maintain and improve aviation safety. Current focus areas include:

• GNSS Interference: Reports of interference have surged by more than 200% since 2021. Together with EASA, IATA launched a GNSS Resilience Plan covering monitoring, prevention tools, backup systems, and civil–military coordination. IATA urged ICAO to formalize these measures through global standards and reporting.
• Radio Spectrum Protection: The expansion of 5G and future 6G networks is threatening aviation’s radio spectrum. IATA called for stronger coordination with telecom regulators and more resilient onboard systems to mitigate interference risks, particularly near airports in markets such as the US, Canada, and Australia.
• Accident Investigation Reporting: Only 58% of accidents from 2019 to 2023 have yielded final reports. IATA reminded governments of their obligations under Annex 13 of the Chicago Convention, stressing that timely reporting is vital for preventing speculation and ensuring lessons are learned.

Using Data to Enhance Performance

IATA emphasized that data-driven insights are revolutionizing aviation safety. Through its Global Aviation Data Management (GADM) platform — which integrates flight, incident, and maintenance data — the association is helping airlines and regulators anticipate risks and improve decision-making.

Key initiatives include:

• Turbulence Aware: Used by 3,200 aircraft from airlines such as Air France, Etihad, and SAS, this real-time data-sharing platform helps crews mitigate turbulence risks.
• Predictive Safety Insights: The SafetyIS database, drawing data from 217 airlines, enables predictive analytics — such as detecting spikes in collision-avoidance alerts to prevent potential incidents.
• Risk-Based IOSA: Tailoring safety audits to each airline’s operational profile has led to over 8,000 corrective actions, further strengthening safety performance.

Fostering a Strong Safety Culture

IATA also highlighted leadership as a cornerstone of aviation safety. Strong leadership, it said, fosters a culture where employees feel empowered to report safety issues without hesitation.

To advance this, IATA introduced two major initiatives:

• Safety Leadership Charter: Covering about 90% of global traffic, the Charter promotes eight core safety leadership principles.
• IATA Connect: A collaborative platform with 5,600 users from 600 organizations, offering access to IOSA documentation, the Safety Issue Hub, and Safety Connect — soon to include ISAGO users.

Riyadh Air and Saudia have announced the implementation of the first phase of their Strategic Cooperation Agreement, marking a major step in strengthening connectivity under Saudi Arabia’s National Aviation Strategy.

The partnership builds on a Memorandum of Understanding signed in November 2023 and enables the two airlines to expand travel options for domestic and international passengers.

As part of the first phase, Riyadh Air has established a connection with Saudia’s Passenger Service System (PSS), allowing the carriers to implement their codeshare across their respective technology platforms.

Under the RX-SV codeshare, Riyadh Air will place its “RX” designator on selected Saudia-operated flights from Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport to six domestic destinations: Abha, Al Qassim, Dammam, Jeddah, Medina and Tabuk.

The agreement will give Riyadh Air passengers access to additional destinations worldwide through convenient connections in Riyadh. For example, travelers from Dammam can connect via Riyadh to Madrid on a single ticket, while passengers flying from Kuala Lumpur can connect through Riyadh to Medina.

By using Saudia’s frequent services between Riyadh and the six codeshare destinations, Riyadh Air will offer passengers more convenient connections aligned with the arrival and departure schedules of its flights at Riyadh.

Both airlines operate within the King Khalid International Airport Terminal 1-4 complex, enabling passengers to benefit from streamlined connections, single-ticket journeys and through-checked baggage to their final destinations.

The first phase represents a significant step toward deeper cooperation between Saudi Arabia’s two national carriers and supports the Kingdom’s broader ambitions to expand its global aviation network.

Source: aaco.org

SalamAir has announced the establishment of Salalah’s first-ever airline base, marking a major step in the airline’s expansion and strengthening direct international connectivity from Oman’s Dhofar Governorate.

The new Salalah-based operation will initially serve three international destinations: Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, Chattogram in Bangladesh and Calicut in India. Bookings opened on August 26, with flights scheduled to begin from the end of October as part of SalamAir’s Winter 2026 schedule.

The base follows SalamAir’s expanded operations during the 2026 Khareef season, when the airline increased capacity on the Muscat-Salalah route to as many as 15 daily flights during peak periods.

The airline also introduced special domestic fares for Omani nationals, with one-way tickets starting from OMR 9.99, supporting affordable travel between Muscat and Salalah.

The new base is expected to extend SalamAir’s role beyond the Khareef season by supporting year-round travel demand among residents and expatriate communities in Dhofar while offering more direct access to key regional and international destinations.

Operations from Salalah will be supported by SalamAir’s Airbus A320neo and A321neo fleet. The airline currently operates 18 aircraft, providing additional flexibility to support growing demand across its network.

During the winter season, SalamAir will also operate charter flights linking Salalah with Astana and Almaty in Kazakhstan, supporting inbound tourism from Central Asia.

The Salalah base forms part of SalamAir’s wider strategy to expand its network from key airports across Oman, develop underserved markets and stimulate new travel demand while supporting the growth of the Sultanate’s aviation and tourism sectors.

Source: ZAWYA