ICAO Secretary General to Open FSF Safety Summit

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Secretary General Dr. Fang Liu will be the opening session keynote speaker for Flight Safety Foundation’s 73rd annual International Air Safety Summit (IASS) on Oct. 19. “Safety Leadership and Global Collaboration During Crisis” is the theme of this year’s virtual IASS, which is scheduled for Oct. 19−22.

“We are extremely pleased that Dr. Liu will open this year’s IASS,” said Dr. Hassan Shahidi, president and CEO of the Foundation. “ICAO has been at the forefront of coordinating the international aviation community’s response to COVID-19 and we look forward to hearing Dr. Liu’s insights on the pandemic and on leading aviation through a crisis of historic proportions.”

This year’s event, the first to be held virtually, is perhaps the most important in the Foundation’s 73-year history. The innovative, four-day program developed by the Foundation’s Technical and Events departments, will focus on the pandemic’s impact on aviation and the broader society, lessons learned, and what needs to be done to enable the global industry to recover.

“The pandemic poses unique challenges to safety and to the health and wellbeing of passengers and aviation professionals,” Shahidi said. “At the same time, we cannot lose focus on more traditional risks. The IASS 2020 program is a blend of the two and emphasizes the collaboration and data-based risk mitigations that are crucial to restoring passenger confidence in air travel and leading the industry through this difficult period.”

IASS 2020 will be held over several times zones during four days and will offer a mix of live and pre-recorded presentations and panel discussions. Each day, the program will begin at 0900 in a different time zone, so the sessions are convenient for as broad an audience possible. For example, Day 1 will begin at 0900 EDT (1300 UTC), but Day 2 will begin at 0900 Central European Time (0700 UTC).

The program also features a series of on-demand sessions that will be available for attendees to view at their convenience, as well as opportunities for exhibitor/attendee networking.

More details on IASS are available on the IASS 2020 page on the Foundation’s website. Early registration will open soon.

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About Flight Safety Foundation
Flight Safety Foundation is an independent, nonprofit, international organization engaged in research, education, advocacy and communications to improve aviation safety. The Foundation’s mission is to connect, influence and lead global aviation safety.

Media Contact:
Frank Jackman
Vice President, Communications
+1 703.739.6700, ext. 101
jackman@flightsafety.org