Air France 2011 Annual Report Download - page 46

44 _ AIR FRANCE-KLM 2010-11 Annual Report
Security: a priority
for airlines
Since the flight operations and customer service objectives
are closely linked, Air France and KLM have made
guaranteeing their customers high performance standards
in terms of punctuality and reliability a key priority. To this
end, Air France and KLM have invested in state-of-the-art
operating facilities such as the Operational Control Centers
for the two airlines (see feature on page 40). This high level
of performance also means prioritizing innovation in aviation
safety.
The cornerstone of the contract between the airlines and
their customers, safety is a priority for every airline and is,
consequently, the subject of numerous checks and forms
of certification. Whether at global level with IATA
(International Air Transport Association), whose IOSA safety
audit is a reference for the sector, or at European level with
EASA (the European Aviation Safety Agency), the standards
for certification are very demanding: Air France and KLM
fully comply with these extremely demanding standards
and with the highest standards in the air transport industry.
When it comes to safety, in addition to complying with these
demanding standards, Air France and KLM’s ambition is also
to achieve the highest possible level of safety. This is why
the two companies have explicitly placed flight safety at the
heart of their corporate project by making it a key priority.
This ambition reflects the Group’s commitment to achieving
high standards in this area, and to innovating and
guaranteeing that safety continues to be a constant concern
for all employees. To drive this process, Air France and KLM
have developed an ambitious program based on a series
of initiatives.
SAFETY TO THE FORE AT AIR FRANCE:
THE INDEPENDENT SAFETY REVIEW TEAM
In December 2009, Air France set up an external
Independent Safety Review Team on flight safety, comprising
eight independent and internationally-recognized experts
to unite both the French and Anglo-Saxon cultures.
The team was tasked with reviewing all the internal
operational procedures, decision-making processes and
practices potentially having an impact on flight safety.
On this basis, in January 2011, following a year-long inquiry
during 2010, the experts made 35 recommendations to
Air France to drive the ongoing process aimed at the highest
possible standards of flighty safety for the airline.
Air France is the first major airline to have undergone, on its
own initiative, a review by external experts. By implementing
their recommendations, which combine the best practices
observed in other airlines globally, Air France plans to achieve
the highest possible standards of flight safety.
This initiative goes hand in hand with the Trajectoire project
group comprising professional pilots dedicated to the launch
of flight safety initiatives. This project will support the
implementation of the recommendations of the Independent
Safety Review Team.
Following these recommendations, a Flight Safety Committee
was created within the Air France Board of Directors, tasked
with monitoring the safety of operations and reviewing any
issues relating to flight safety and the relevant indicators.