Gulf Air renews its place on IOSA Registry

Gulf Air has once again renewed its place on the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) Registry until 2013 after successfully completing the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) safety audit requirements.

“Registering and renewing a place in the IOSA registry is of great importance for an airline as well as travelling passengers as it has become a benchmark for global aviation safety standards,” said Gulf Air chief executive officer Samer Majali.

“As an airline, this certifies that we follow and practice the highest safety standards set by IATA while continuously updating our safety standards to conform to international regulatory revisions and best practices within the industry.”

Samer added: “For our customers, the IOSA certification reassures them they are flying with an airline that conforms to strict international safety standards. Passenger safety is top priority for Gulf Air and the IOSA registration is a testament to our commitment that we fly our aircraft to the highest level of operational safety.

“For the airline, the IOSA certification has the added benefit of cost savings as it eliminates the need for multiple audit reports.”

The IOSA, established in 2003, is an internationally recognised and accepted evaluation system designed to assess the operational safety management and control systems of an airline. The certification is considered as the benchmark for global safety management in airlines.

Gulf Air received its first IOSA registration in 2005 and has been renewing its place in the registry every two years. Over the years, the standards have evolved to ensure a higher level of conformity and to keep pace with regulatory change and enhancements in the industry’s best practice.

In order to renew its current registration, Gulf Air has to satisfy more than 900 standards in eight operational areas, including flight operations, operational control and flight dispatch, aircraft engineering and maintenance, cabin operations, ground handling, cargo operations and operational security.