ACI’s Airport Excellence in Safety launches new Safety Assessor Training Programme

Montreal, 4 May 2016 – Airports Council International’s (ACI) Airport Excellence (APEX) in Safety programme has launched the Safety Assessor Training Programme (SATP). The objective of the initiative is to improve competency levels, develop expertise for future Assessor participation in the APEX in Safety Programme and provide free on-the-job training to safety experts. The SATP will be trialed in Africa and later accessible to members in other regions of the world.

The APEX in Safety programme is now in its fifth year of operation. Over the years, the programme has helped to facilitate the training of over 300 airport safety professionals in conjunction with ACI’s Global Training department, with a high proportion of trainees being from the African region. While the main objective of the APEX in Safety programme remains helping member airports identify vulnerabilities and safety gaps, and promote airport excellence through training and mentorship, the APEX SATP is particularly focused on cultivating expertise in the area of aerodrome certification.

The four-step SATP includes an expertise assessment, observer missions to other airports, evaluation of potential candidates and a training programme based on observed gaps in safety-related qualifications. Successful candidates will then be qualified to participate as fully fledged APEX in Safety Assessors—now widely regarded as a measure of professional excellence in the industry—while they work towards improving the safety of their own airports and contribute to the certification efforts agreed to in the Abuja Declaration of 2012.

Africa remains a source of great potential and the APEX in Safety programme is committed to playing its part in developing local expertise. In the upcoming months, classroom training will be scheduled in Africa, where selected candidates will take part in initial Safety Assessor training.

“Safety continues to be ACI’s top priority, and the development of the APEX in Safety Assessor Training Programme will not only enhance the effectiveness of the APEX in Safety programme, but also develop a pool of safety experts to the ultimate benefit of the world’s airports and the traveling public,” said Angela Gittens, Director General, ACI World.

Notes to editors

1. Airports Council International (ACI), the trade association of the world’s airports, was founded in 1991 with the objective of fostering cooperation among its member airports and other partners in world aviation, including the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Air Transport Association and the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization. In representing the best interests of airports during key phases of policy development, ACI makes a significant contribution toward ensuring a global air transport system that is safe, secure, efficient and environmentally sustainable. For more information on ACI, please clickhere.

2. To learn more about the APEX Safety Assessor Training Programme, please click here.

3. To learn more about the APEX in Safety programme, please click here.

4. To download a PDF version of this press release, please click here.

Media contact

Ryan White
Manager, Communications
ACI World
Telephone: +1 514 373 1226
Email: rwhite@aci.aero

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