ALEXANDRIA, Va. — After the tragic Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines accidents and the fragmented approach in grounding the Boeing 737 MAX, regulators from around the world are gathering for a special certification review to fully understand the flight control system, human factors or other considerations and to validate any proposed solutions, including training requirements. The interim reports from both accidents, while not comprehensive or final, are important inputs to the deliberations.
“We urge the participants to recommit to a collaborative, data-driven approach to airworthiness and certification decisions,” said Dr. Hassan Shahidi, president and CEO of Flight Safety Foundation. “We need to not only restore public confidence in the safety of the aircraft but also preserve the well-established certification and airworthiness process that’s produced the world’s safest mode of transportation.”
A key component of this process is the mutual acceptance and validation of the certifying authority’s certification decisions. This long-standing practice, which has evolved over many decades, has ensured a harmonized and orderly approach to certification and has enhanced global aviation safety. The Foundation believes strongly that authorities participating in this review should adopt a data-driven and scientific approach to understanding the automated flight control system, pilot training and proposed improvements.
“The passengers and crews killed in the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines accidents were from many nations and included personnel on international humanitarian missions,” said Shahidi. “Global aviation safety is not confined to national boundaries and therefore requires coordinated actions. We call on authorities to adopt an organized approach and outcome to restore the traveling public’s confidence in the aircraft certification process, and to demonstrate the value of international cooperation to ensure passenger safety.”
About Flight Safety Foundation
Flight Safety Foundation is an independent, nonprofit, international organization engaged in research, education, advocacy and communications to improve aviation safety. The Foundation’s mission is to connect, influence and lead global aviation safety.
