ICAO’s Dr. Kotaite Gives Keynote Speech
October 24, 2006, Paris, France — The 59th annual FSF International Air Safety Seminar opened today with a thought-provoking keynote speech from Dr. Assad Kotaite, immediate past president of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Dr. Kotaite called on the Flight Safety Foundation, under the leadership of new president and CEO Bill Voss, to expand its scope to the global community. He noted that “safety management is not a matter for individual states alone.” Dr. Kotaite continued, “It must be coordinated and implemented in a cooperative manner.”
The opening comments from Dr. Kotaite touched on several other issues that can affect safety — increasing security concerns, enormous traffic growth and the related congestion — and the need to be aware of the environmental impact of aviation. He called on attendees to consider these issues and to continue to nurture a culture of safety.
The issue of global safety is the main focus of this year’s IASS. More than 450 attendees will hear presentations on the status of the Global Aviation Safety Roadmap, the safety benefits of standardization, region-specific reports from Nigeria and Europe, and many other issues that touch worldwide aviation safety.
Each year, the Flight Safety Foundation, the International Federation of Airworthiness and the International Air Transport Association work to bring together individuals from the aviation industry around the world in order to hear the latest news and information from leading safety experts. With the assistance of Airbus, this year’s host, the 59th annual IASS will be the most successful ever.
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Flight Safety Foundation is an independent, non-profit, international organization engaged in research, auditing, education, advocacy and publishing to improve aviation safety. The Foundation’s mission is to pursue the continuous improvement of global aviation safety and the prevention of accidents. www.flightsafety.org
Contact: Emily McGee, Director of Communications, 1-703-739-6700, ext. 126; mcgee@flightsafety.org