CAA praise for CASE and Air Safety Central

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has thrown its weight behind a cross-industry organisation made up of corporate aviation airlines focused on promoting safety in the sector.

The CAA’s Chief Executive, Andrew Haines, described fast-growing the Corporate Aviation Safety Executive (CASE) as “currently one of the best things happening in aviation safety”.

Speaking at CASE’s latest conference in London Mr Haines, who has been the CAA’s chief executive for five years, praised the group’s “progressive” approach to making corporate aviation safer, and pledged his organisation’s “full commitment” to its activities.

Made up of more than 40 smaller corporate operators, collectively responsible for some 300 aircraft, CASE was established in 2009 with the sole focus of driving up safety standards in the business aviation sector.

Supported by many of the airline industry’s leading suppliers, CASE is pioneering the use of social media for reporting and sharing safety information between its members through free to use online platform Air Safety Central.

Air Safety Central, created for CASE by leading aviation-focused software developer Vistair, lets users post completed but anonymous safety investigations, allowing crews to review the data, comment on any aspect of the incident, and share best practice.

“At the CAA we believe CASE is currently one of the best things happening in aviation safety,” said Mr Haines.

“Not only are its members passionate advocates for risk-based safety, but through its innovative use of collaborative working methods and technology the group is also clearly one of the most progressive organisations out there.”

Mr Haines, who joined the CAA after a wide-ranging career in the rail industry, criticised what he described as “tombstone regulation”, where those in authority “wait for the worst to happen before learning lessons”.

“That’s not the way we should be doing safety promotion in this country,” he continued, “and I can assure you that CASE’s efforts encouraging collaborative working and data sharing is very strongly supported by the CAA, because the more evidence we can gather the easier it becomes for us to support the right outcome.”

He added: “What CASE is doing is absolutely right and has real commitment from the CAA.”

Malcolm Rusby, founder of CASE and head of safety at TAG Aviation, said: “For a long time we have felt like the work we’re doing promoting safety in our sector has been innovative and a marker for the wider industry, so to hear that back from such a senior figure within the CAA is very pleasing.

“Though Air Safety Central is still a relatively new development the data it is generating from our members is being constantly collated and analysed so that we can learn from each other’s experiences, share best practice and help contribute to our sector’s overall safety culture.”