Every operator hopes the Emergency Response Plan (ERP)  is something that never has to be used. But that doesn’t mean it should be left to gather dust on a shelf . An ERP must be simple, practical, and tailored  to your operation. When a crisis hits, clarity matters more than complexity. Emergency Response Plan — clear roles, calm action, and coordinated response when it matters most. Keep It Simple — Start Small and Build Too many operators make the mistake of starting with

Safety Promotion is one of the four pillars of a Safety Management System, and in practice, it’s the pillar that gives life to all the others . It’s how safety becomes visible, meaningful, and trusted across the organization. Without effective safety promotion, even the best safety reports risk ending up in a drawer. Safety Promotion – the pillar of communication and feedback Closing the Loop with Feedback Every occurrence report deserves feedback . Not “when time allows” — a

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

Safety Assurance monitors whether safety controls work as intended. Safety Performance Indicators (SPIs) show how well  they work. SPIs turn complex operational data into measurable insight. They make safety performance visible, and that visibility is what allows organizations to make informed, timely decisions. Safety Performance Indicators — the pulse check of your safety system. What Are Safety Performance Indicators? Safety Performance Indicators are measurable metrics u

In aviation, hazard identification tells us what could go wrong. Safety assurance tells us whether our defenses are working. Safety assurance is the third pillar of the Safety Management System (SMS). It verifies that the organization’s safety processes are functioning as intended, not just on paper, but in daily operations. When done well, it turns safety management from reactive problem-solving into continuous improvement. The Safety Assurance pillar — verifying that your

Doing What’s Required EU Regulation 376/2014 sets out what must be reported through the Mandatory Occurrence Reporting (MOR)  system. Most operators comply, and that’s a good thing. It’s the backbone of reactive hazard identification. When something significant happens, an aircraft system malfunction, a runway incursion, a loss of separation, the MOR process ensures it’s documented, analyzed, and shared across the system. That’s how we learn from what has already  happened. B

From Investigation to Understanding When an accident or incident occurs, the investigation that follows often draws attention, but the real value lies in what the organization learns  from it. Reactive hazard identification is about using these occurrences to reveal underlying system weaknesses, not to assign blame. By analyzing what went wrong and sharing what was learned, organizations can identify hazards that would otherwise remain hidden, strengthening their defenses lon

From Concept to Practice in Reactive Hazard Identification Earlier this month, in Learning from What Happened: Reactive Hazard Identification , we explored the concept  of reactive hazard identification, understanding events that have already occurred to strengthen future defenses. This week, we move from concept to practice and look at the methods  we can use to identify hazards reactively. We begin with information sharing , both within the organization and across the wider

In June, I wrote that Compliance Monitoring isn’t about finding Findings . The point was simple: audits are not about catching people...

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On October 1, I wrote about proactive hazard identification , the methods we use to uncover hazards in daily operations, before they...

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

MYTH: “Fatigue just means someone’s tired — they just need a good night's sleep.” REALITY: Fatigue isn’t just tiredness — it’s a...

In the world of aviation safety and compliance, we often hear these three terms used interchangeably: Root Cause Analysis , Risk...

This year marks 25 years since I first stepped into the world of aviation compliance  — a field that’s challenged me, inspired me, and...

Myth: “If your SMS passed an audit, it must be working.” Fact: Passing an audit doesn’t always mean your Safety Management System (SMS)...

One of the most persistent myths in aviation is this: “Safety Management Systems (SMS) are just red tape—they don’t actually make flying...