The European safety regulations on aviation operations

Abstract

Aviation safety is a priority both for the persons. who would be travelling by air and for the airline companies. Indeed, aviation safety comprises a complexity of issues, directly or indirectly related to the many and varied phases of flight operations. This thesis analyses the Chicago Convention of 1944, which is deemed to be the first serious attempt by various States to create a uniform set of regulations to enhance amongst other objectives, international air safety. Over the years, the International Civil Aviation Organisation ( ICAO) has set up a number of regulatory 'Annexes 1 , dealing with varied aspects of air safety, including aircraft operations, meteorological data, certification of airworthiness, licensing of personnel, security, air traffic contra 1, aircraft accident and incident investigation, and transport of dangerous goods by air. The Chicago Convention has served as the legal backbone on aviation safety for more than fifty years. Indeed, the standards and recommendations proposed by the Chicago Convention have inspired the Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) to issue a revised set of regulations applicable within the European context. Malta is a Candidate of the JAA. Since aviation safety comprises various aspects, for the· purpose of this study, apart from analysing the relative legal instruments, the thesis focuses on two main issues of air safety: the first being aircraft accident and incident investigations, which enables us to identify the causes of air disasters. These might be due to human error, which has been classified as the highest percentage in aviation accidents, or due to aircraft component failure, severe weather, acts of terrorism and sabotage, and other miscellaneous causes. The second issue focused upon is security at all levels of aviation operations. Aviation security experts agree that in recent years, one of the most serious problems in aviation safety, has been that of protecting passengers, goods, and personnel from assaults by fanatics, terrorists and otherwise mentally deranged. The thesis finally views the various air safety assessment programmes, which are designed to enhance safety in international aviation.