Yannick MALINGE

SVP & Chief Product Safety Officer

Dear Aviation Colleagues,

The rate of accidents for commercial jet transport remains relatively stable today. A very slight increase of the accident rate for the fourth generation of commercial jets was recorded in 2022 due to two events with fatal injuries to four people in ground vehicles that entered an operational runway. It shows that, even though the commercial air transport system has significantly improved its safety record over the years, we all need to be permanently vigilant and to avoid any increase in the accident rate. Another warning sign is the reported number of recent close call runway incursions, requiring all of us to reinforce the safety barriers to prevent an accident.

We all welcome the returning demand for flights. It also comes with its inherent risk exposure. Especially when this is coupled with the departure of experienced aviation professionals across all sectors during the pandemic, and the need to onboard many industry newcomers. It is important to pass on the knowledge, skills and values to them, with the top value of safety as our first priority.

Amongst the top safety values, we all agree that complying with procedures and sharing safety information through best practices or lessons learnt are key elements. This is precisely the aim of these Safety first articles. With this in mind, you will find a particular example in the “Thrust Reverser Selection is a Decision to Stop” article, which shows how not following procedures might lead to potentially catastrophic consequences. It is essential reading for every pilot to avoid these kinds of events, and it is a timely reminder for why correctly following the procedures is so vital to always keeping safety first.

Concerning this safety magazine, we are very pleased to observe the constant positive trend showing an increasing number of readers (700,000 connections per year and 1,600 readers every day on safetyfirst.airbus.com and the Safety first app). Let’s make it our common safety value to share this information widely, because it is surely an effective way to prevent accidents or serious incidents. Our ambition is for every flight, maintenance and cabin crew member working with Airbus aircraft, and indeed for all aviation professionals from across the industry, to benefit from the information shared in Safety first.