Analytical Attack Planned on Safety Hazards

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) plan to establish an organization that will use predictive analytics to identify potential safety hazards in aviation.
The Global Safety Predictive Analytics Research Center (SPARC) will be located in Singapore, according to an agreement signed last week by IATA and CAAS representatives.

IATA said plans call for SPARC to focus initially on runway safety issues, especially runway excursions. IATA said the SPARC effort will require “broad consultation and collaboration for knowledge sharing” as representatives of SPARC work with the industry to develop safety predictive models that will be used to “ensure that the output generated meets the industry’s current and future needs.”

IATA Director General and CEO Alexandre de Juniac added, “Safety is aviation’s highest priority, and all stakeholders are committed to making flying even safer. The accident investigation process will continue to be a fundamental tool in improving safety. However, as the number of accidents declines, we need to take a system-based, data-driven predictive approach to preventing accidents, including analyzing the more than 10,000 flights that operate safely every day.”

CAAS Director-General Kevin Shum said that the establishment of SPARC in Singapore is “especially timely, given the anticipated doubling of air traffic in the Asia Pacific by 2036. SPARC’s predictive data analytics capabilities will help the aviation sector in Asia Pacific better anticipate, prioritize and address safety issues more effectively.”