Oman Air successfully renews IATA Operational Safety Audit registration

The airline first achieved the distinction of being the 24th airline worldwide and 3rd in the Arab world, to achieve IOSA Registration. Oman Air's management and staff are proud of this achievement, especially considering the fact that IATA represents some 240 airlines, comprising 94% of international scheduled air traffic, all of which are required to undergo IOSA by 2007 in order to maintain their IATA membership.

Talal Al Riyamy, Head of the Quality and Safety Department of Oman Air said, "The IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) has been developed by the airline industry with the support of the leading national and international civil aviation authorities. It is considered the top industry assessment because, it is the only recognised global airline standard that scrutinize eight operational and safety disciplines. IOSA registration lasts for two years, after which a recurrent audit is required to ensure ongoing compliance with IATA standards. This reveals the pledge of IATA's Members to safety, and makes IATA membership a precursor of distinction.

"The audit was carried out over a one-week period by an IATA Accredited Audit Organisation consisting of a team of six auditors from Wake (QA) Ltd., The departments subjected to the audit were Corporate Organization & Management System, Flight Operation, Flight Dispatch, Aircraft Engineering & Maintenance, Cabin Operations, Aircraft Ground Handling, Cargo Operations, and Operational Security. The team expressed its appreciation for the high standards of flight and ground safety achieved by Oman Air," he added.

In conclusion, the Oman Air Corporate Communication & Media Department stated, "The IOSA programme has gained international acceptance as an effective evaluation system that provides the benchmark for safety management in airlines. This achievement comes as a result of Oman Air's dedicated efforts to continuously enhance its standards of quality and safety in all fields of civil aviation. Achieving IOSA Registration, Oman Air positively positions itself amongst the world leading airlines, demonstrating its commitment to operational safety and efficiency. Currently, 163 airlines have achieved the IOSA registration."

IOSA was launched in 2003 as the industry's first global standard for airline safety management. By putting into place internationally recognized operational safety audit standards, standardized checklists and a structured audit procedure, IOSA has provided airlines with wide ranging benefits including promoting safety and effective code share operations, while at the same time achieving cost-efficiency by a significant reduction in the number of audits. As per IATA's 2006 Safety Report, last year's accident rate was reportedly the lowest, with an accident rate of 0.65 per million sectors, with an even lower rate of 0.48 per million sectors for IATA Members.