IASA Program

Flight operations quality assurance (FOQA) started in Europe, but has take root in North America and Asia, enhancing safety and reducing costs for numerous airlines. The practice, moreover, is endorsed not only by company management, but also by pilot unions and regulatory agencies. New technologies are making these programs even better through improved data analysis and transmission. And some carriers are finding it more efficient to outsource their flight data analysis (FDA) in “managed contract” arrangements.

These programs have become an important measuring tool, providing operators with a recorded journal of what transpired on a particular flight. FOQA enables airlines to analyze the data for any events or trends that might signal an exceedence of normal, or standard, operating procedures. When changes or corrections are made, FOQA data then provides a review of these procedures to see if the improvements are working.

The benefits of implementing an FDM/FOQA program

• Identify significant unsafe events and take appropriate action
• Perform trend analysis to highlight safety issues
• Benchmark against the aviation industry
• Focus training in specific areas (evidence-based training)
• Minimize Aircraft on Ground (AOG) time
• Enhance maintenance trending and diagnosis