Singapore, November 1, 2011 — Acknowledging his work at the International Civil Aviation Organization, the Flight Safety Foundation presented the FSF President’s Citation to Henry Gourdji. The award was presented at the opening reception of FSF’s 64th annual International Air Safety Seminar.
Mr. Gourdji expanded the ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Program into a major component of international aviation safety. “I’m very honored to present the President’s Citation to Mr. Gourdji. He was instrumental in developing ICAO’s oversight program from its beginning efforts to the powerful safety instrument it is today,” stated William R. Voss, President and CEO of FSF. “These programs caused a fundamental shift in transparency and accountability that continues to reshape the landscape of civil aviation today. We all fly safer due to the efforts of Mr. Gourdji and ICAO’s oversight programs.”
After Mr. Gourdji helped develop the comprehensive system for audits that included national regulatory agencies, airports, air traffic management, and flight and maintenance regulations, he took the program further and devised reporting methods that allowed audit reports to be publicly available. This public accountability is a powerful stimulus to improvement.
The FSF President’s Citation was established in 1988 and is given at the discretion of the President and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation, in order to recognize outstanding service on behalf of safety, whether it be valor, professionalism or service above and beyond normal expectations.
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Flight Safety Foundation (flightsafety.org) is an independent, non-profit, international organization engaged in research, education, advocacy and publishing to improve aviation safety. The Foundation’s mission is to be the leading voice of safety for the global aerospace community.
Contact: Emily McGee, Director of Communications, 1-703-739-6700, ext. 126; mcgee@flightsafety.org