EPAS | Glacier Aviation Consulting

Digital aviation dashboard showing ten Safety Performance Indicators: Runway Excursion, Runway Incursion, Airborne Conflict, Loss of Control, Controlled Flight Into Terrain, Ground Operations, Fire, Technical Operations, SACA/SAFA Ratio, and Reporting Culture, with colored bars representing safety performance levels.

Safety Performance Indicators: Turning Data into Meaning

In the last article, we discussed the purpose and value of Safety Performance Indicators (SPIs) how they show whether safety controls are working as intended. Today, let’s take that one step further: how to build and calculate SPIs that actually reflect your operation. Ten key indicators — monitoring what truly matters in aviation safety Choosing the Right Safety Performance Indicators There are many ways to structure SPIs, but I’ve always believed in starting with the bas

Margrét Hrefna Pétursdóttir

Oct 31, 20254 min read

Illustration titled “The Two Lenses of Safety” showing a helicopter in the center. On the left, a smiling man looks toward a green downward trend chart. On the right, a concerned man points at a red upward trend chart. The text “Success or Warning Sign?” appears in the middle

Helicopter Operations: What the Numbers Don’t Tell Us

The EASA Annual Safety Review 2025 paints an interesting picture of helicopter operations in Europe. Fatal accidents are at their lowest...

Margrét Hrefna Pétursdóttir

Sep 10, 20252 min read

Illustration of aircraft on runway: left shows landing stabilised at 1,000 ft with safety margin, right shows landing at 500 ft with reduced margin and fuel saving.

Runway Excursions is Still the Top Risk: When Fuel Saving Undermines Safety

The 2025 Annual Safety Review, published by EASA on 26 August, once again confirms that runway excursions remain one of the top accident...

Margrét Hrefna Pétursdóttir

Sep 8, 20252 min read

Split illustration showing data being sent to a regulator vs. operators using the same data for decisions.

Myth Buster: Safety Data Is Just for Regulators

❌ Myth: Safety data is something you collect because the authority requires it. ✅ Reality: Safety data is one of the most valuable...

Margrét Hrefna Pétursdóttir

Sep 5, 20252 min read

Split illustration of Annual Safety Review: report on a shelf versus team in safety meeting using charts and data.

Learning from the 2025 Annual Safety Review: What Do the Numbers Really Mean for Operators?

On 26 August 2025 , EASA published the latest Annual Safety Review . It provides a wealth of data about accidents, serious incidents, and...

Margrét Hrefna Pétursdóttir

Sep 1, 20252 min read

Split illustration of Part-145 SMS: left side shows staff using a phone to report and work on an aircraft, right side shows SMS manuals, highlighting compliance vs culture.

Part-145 SMS: On Paper vs. In Practice

In December 2024, the requirement for Safety Management Systems in Part-145 organisations became mandatory. The intention is clear:...

Margrét Hrefna Pétursdóttir

Aug 27, 20252 min read

Educational graphic about resilience in aviation, depicting GNSS spoofing near conflict zones and the importance of crew and dispatcher awareness.

Resilience in Aviation: GNSS Spoofing, Flight Planning and Operator Preparedness

One of the priorities in the European Plan for Aviation Safety (EPAS 2023–2025) is building resilience in our aviation system. That...

Margrét Hrefna Pétursdóttir

Aug 25, 20252 min read