A final report from the recent European safety seminar produced several findings and recommendations aimed at improving regulatory participation by stakeholders and mitigating operational risk factors. The forum was sponsored by the Flight Safety Foundation, the European Regions Airline Association, and Eurocontrol.

During the meeting, three main sessions were held: from drawing board to published regulation; procedural shortcomings; and technology and science. The meeting concluded with a number of findings and recommendations, which were then used to develop safety improvement strategies to “prevent, contain, or mitigate a specific risk.”

A key finding centered around the failure of communication. Conference attendees reported that aviation system users “often do not feel listened to.” The forum sponsors agreed that there “must not be walls or barriers that might isolate. Clear responsibilities and easy, just culture-based communication should be encouraged.”

Participants requested that the “roles and responsibilities of each stakeholder in the system—from ICAO down to front-line operator—should be clearly identified and close communication and understanding should link each stakeholder.” In addition, regulatory authorities need to “advertise the channels that already exist to make them more functional,” they said.