Gulf Air hosts international air safety workshop

Gulf Air, the national airline of the Kingdom of Bahrain, is playing host to a major international safety workshop - the 27th International Society of Air Safety Investigators (ISASI) Reachout Workshop. The five day workshop was inaugurated today at the Gulf Hotel Bahrain by Gulf Air Chief Executive Officer Mr. Björn Näf.

Around 40 air safety management practitioners - half of whom are from abroad - are participating in this intensive workshop. Sessions of the workshop focus on two key areas aircraft accident/incident investigation and safety management.

"Gulf Air places safety as its first priority and is committed to carrying out its operations in line with the industry's best safety and quality practices," says Mr. Näf.

"But to achieve these, it is important that safety practitioners and experts share their experiences and knowledge, discuss safety related issues, and educate each other so that we consistently maintain the highest safety standards," concludes Mr.Näf.

Three seasoned international air safety experts, Caj Frostell, Mike Doiron and Joe Jackson are the main facilitators at the workshop.

Caj Forstell, is a former Chief of Accident Investigation and Prevention Section at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Mike Doiron, is a former Civil Aviation Safety Inspector with Transport Canada and Joe Jackson, a former military pilot with Canadian Air Force who spent 21 years with Canada's Transportation Safety Board.

"Air safety is a huge and complex responsibility that covers the entire spectrum of airline operations including flight and ground operations, maintenance, safety management, flight training and standards. Therefore, continuous knowledge enhancement on aviation accident prevention and safety management systems is fundamental," adds Gulf Air Director of Safety Capt. Paolo Fitze.

"The workshop covers a wide range of topics on accident/incident investigation and safety management and I am sure participants will benefit significantly from the five day intensive and interactive sessions."

Some of the topics being addressed at the workshop include; international requirements for accident investigation, crashworthiness and survivability, crisis management, incident reporting and challenges for accident investigation in the future.

In addition to participants from Gulf Air, employees from Bahrain Civil Aviation Authority, Bahrain Airport Services, Embraer and Royaljet are participating in the workshop.

ISASI was established in 1968 and its main objective is to promote air safety through exchange of ideas, experiences and information about aircraft accident investigations, and aid in the advancement of flight safety; to promote technical advancement by providing professional education through seminars and workshops and, by the exchange of information for mutual development of improved investigations and finally, to broaden professional relationships among members.