On August 13, the second Asia-Pacific Aviation Safety Symposium, co-organized by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and the Flight Safety Foundation of the United States, opened in Beijing. In his keynote speech, Song Zhiyong, Director of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, said that the world today is in a period of change that has not been seen in a century, and the development of global civil aviation safety still faces many risks and challenges, which need to be solved through joint efforts. First, the full recovery and development of the civil aviation industry still faces certain difficulties. Second, the operational risks are superimposed and intertwined, and the operating environment is more complex. Third, new technologies such as automation, artificial intelligence, and drones bring derivative risks. He pointed out that the continuous upgrading of aircraft automation technology is prone to the risk of manual operation skills decline. How to effectively evaluate and maintain the flight crew's emergency response capabilities or the degradation and failure of the automation system is a topic that all countries need to study. While promoting the upgrading of the civil aviation industry and convenience and efficiency, new technologies and new fields represented by artificial intelligence and drones have also posed new challenges to safety. It is necessary to continuously improve relevant laws and regulations, strengthen data protection, and enhance the real-time perception and coordinated operation of the integrated flight situation of manned and drones, as well as safety warning and alarm capabilities.
The following is the full text of Director Song Zhiyong's keynote speech published by China Civil Aviation News:
Life first, safety first
Building a higher level of civil aviation safety with people-oriented approach
-Keynote speech at the 2024 Asia-Pacific Aviation Safety Symposium
(Beijing, August 13, 2024)
Song Zhiyong
In the past 10 years, the Asia-Pacific region, as an important engine for the growth of the global aviation market, has ranked first in the world in terms of passenger and cargo transportation volume and growth rate. These achievements are inseparable from the efforts and practices of various countries in the aviation field. I hope that you can share successful experiences through this seminar and better promote the high-level safety and high-quality development of the civil aviation industry in the Asia-Pacific region and even the world.
Dear guests, dear friends!
China's civil aviation has always been committed to contributing to the safe development of global civil aviation. Since the reform and opening up, China's civil aviation has actively integrated into global civil aviation governance, especially in the new era, and has achieved a historic leap. It has built a relatively complete facility, personnel, technology and safety management system. The scale of transportation has ranked second in the world for 19 consecutive years, and the contribution rate to the growth of global air transportation has exceeded 20%. At present, China has 4,335 transport aircraft and 262 transport airports. The total airport capacity has reached 1.6 billion passengers. The annual flight of drones has reached tens of millions of hours, and the total number of newly registered drones is growing at an average rate of 100,000 per month. Under the trend of large-scale and high-speed development, the ten-year rolling averages of the number of fatalities per billion passenger-kilometers and the major accident rate per million flight hours of China's civil aviation transport aviation were 0.0016 and 0.01, respectively, which are 1/3 and 1/10 of the global averages, respectively. In the USOAP-CMA audit in April this year, a series of management practices of China's civil aviation were highly praised by the audit team. In the first half of this year, China's civil aviation transport total turnover, passenger transport volume, and cargo and mail transport volume increased by 11.9%, 9% and 18.7% respectively compared with the same period in 2019. It is expected that the annual passenger transport volume will exceed 700 million, which will set a historical record.
Dear guests, dear friends!
In recent years, the modernization level of China's civil aviation governance system and governance capabilities has been continuously improved, thanks to the scientific guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the correct guidance of the concept of safe development, the consistent adherence to the people-first and life-first principle, and the consistent emphasis on international exchanges and cooperation, and the gradual exploration and formation of civil aviation management concepts and methods with Chinese characteristics.
——We deeply realize that only by firmly establishing the concept of safe development and constantly strengthening people's safety awareness can we better shape civil aviation safety. President Xi Jinping attaches great importance to work safety, emphasizes the red line that development must not be at the expense of human life, and has repeatedly put forward requirements for civil aviation safety work, pointing out that safety is the lifeline of the civil aviation industry and that the bottom line of aviation safety must be firmly maintained. The Civil Aviation Administration of China resolutely implements the requirements of President Xi Jinping and the deployment of the Chinese government, always regards safety as the top priority of civil aviation, and strengthens the overall planning and overall coordination of the construction of the safety assurance system. Focus on grasping the dynamic balance between safety and development, adhere to the principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability, and ensure that the safety assurance capability matches the scale of transportation production. Focus on the main responsibility, supervision responsibility, leadership responsibility and job responsibility of safety, and build a responsibility system of "responsibility at all levels, everyone has responsibility, each bears their own responsibilities, and dereliction of duty is held accountable", which effectively guarantees the efficient operation of safety management and supervision mechanisms, and has embarked on a safety management path that conforms to the actual situation of China's civil aviation.
——We deeply realize that only by strengthening the construction of professional teams and constantly strengthening people's qualifications and capabilities can we better shape civil aviation safety. We focus on the capacity training of professional personnel. After the epidemic, a series of measures were taken to promote the recovery and improvement of personnel capabilities. 123,000 flight capability improvement trainings were carried out, with a focus on improving maintenance capabilities, strengthening the qualifications of release personnel, and strengthening basic capacity training for air traffic control personnel, with a focus on strengthening training for large traffic and sudden special situations. We focus on the construction of safety culture, give full play to the functions of safety culture in leading, cohesiveness, cultivation and radiation, better shape employees' concepts, attitudes, values and behaviors towards safety, and continuously build a consensus on safety and improve safety literacy. We focus on occupational health management, urge all operating entities to strictly implement the requirements of aviation health management and fatigue management, pay attention to mental health, guide personnel to strengthen their own health management, and transform preventive health care into conscious actions. We focus on the training and reserve of international talents, and strive to cultivate talents with professional knowledge, international vision and knowledge of international rules, laying the foundation for contributing Chinese strength and wisdom to the development of global civil aviation safety.
——We deeply realize that only by improving the level of governance according to law and constantly regulating people's safety behavior can we better shape civil aviation safety. We focus on improving the legal and regulatory system. As one of the earliest signatories of the Chicago Convention, China has been actively involved in promoting the formulation of the International Civil Aviation Convention and abided by the obligations of the convention. At the same time, we have built a relatively mature and complete system of Chinese civil aviation laws, regulations and rules that are in line with international standards and in line with our own characteristics, and comprehensively regulate all areas, links and subjects involved in civil aviation operations and supervision. We actively promote legal and compliant operations. We promote the "legal self-inspection" system, incorporate legal norms into the institutional procedures of various units, and better play the initiative of enterprises to implement safety responsibilities. We promote differentiated safety supervision, establish a working mechanism for the linkage of financial safety monitoring and aviation safety, and enhance the driving force and consciousness of enterprises to operate in accordance with laws and regulations. We emphasize strict supervision in accordance with laws and regulations. On the one hand, we resolutely find out the causes, clarify responsibilities, effectively implement measures, and educate relevant personnel for all kinds of violations of regulations and breaches of integrity. On the other hand, we focus on communication feedback and positive incentives between the government and enterprises to ensure the rationality of administrative law enforcement. Scientifically evaluate human factors, clearly define intentional violations and unintentional errors, and create a positive and fair safety culture.
——We deeply realize that only by continuously promoting science and technology to promote safety and continuously improving people's work efficiency can we better shape civil aviation safety. We continue to improve the top-level design, formulate a science and technology development plan around the construction of smart civil aviation, implement the "Smart Civil Aviation Construction Roadmap", strengthen the construction of civil aviation science and technology innovation system, promote industry-university-research-application collaborative innovation, and vigorously enhance civil aviation safety science and technology innovation capabilities. We have increased financial investment, focusing on supporting projects such as improving the industry's safe operation guarantee capabilities, building an emergency rescue system, and promoting the application of major key safety technologies, effectively improving the level of safe operation. We have steadily promoted the application of a series of new technologies, such as the widespread application of Beidou in the aviation field, the promotion of new technologies such as advanced surface guidance systems and 5G AeroMACS, and the application of RNP AR technology based on parallel runways. We have actively carried out the construction of a series of regulatory platforms, and have successively built flight standards, airport safety supervision and industry supervision and law enforcement systems, and drone comprehensive supervision platforms, and built civil aviation flight quality monitoring base stations to conduct risk analysis based on big data. At the same time, we are also systematically strengthening the targeted learning, education, and training of personnel, and improving the inherent safety level of people and things.
——We deeply realize that only by strengthening international exchanges and cooperation and sharing safety experiences and achievements can we better shape common security. As a founding member and a Category 1 Council member of ICAO, China has always adhered to the concept of "joint consultation, joint construction and sharing", and has constructively participated in various activities and projects of ICAO, sharing Chinese experience in electronic licenses, high-altitude airport construction and operation, runway arrest systems, and actively providing public products such as Beidou satellite navigation system services and space weather intelligence consulting services. As the world's largest developing country, China has always stood by and helped developing countries. While providing financial and personnel support to relevant ICAO projects, it has also cooperated with ICAO through the "Global Development and South-South Cooperation Assistance Fund" to provide aviation safety, security, flight standards and airworthiness training for aviation professionals in developing countries, and support the capacity building of practitioners in developing countries. As the host country of the ICAO Asia-Pacific Regional Office, China strongly supports the Office in providing professional and technical guidance to Asia-Pacific member states. At the same time, China actively fulfills its responsibilities as a major country, and supports the capacity building of countries in the region by assisting in the construction of airports, meteorological equipment, and export digital control technology, effectively promoting the safe and efficient development of regional civil aviation. In the future, we will strengthen international cooperation in promoting the application of new technologies such as 5G, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things, as well as experience sharing, and continue to make positive contributions to promoting the safe, orderly and sustainable development of international civil aviation.
Dear guests, dear friends!
The world today is undergoing a change that has not been seen in a century. From a long-term trend, the safety of global civil aviation is continuing to improve, and 2023 is even called "the safest year in the history of global civil aviation." At the same time, we must also see that the development of global civil aviation safety still faces many risks and challenges, which need to be solved through joint efforts.
First, the full recovery and development of the civil aviation industry still faces certain difficulties. At present, peace and development are facing new challenges, economic globalization is encountering headwinds, and although the world economy is recovering moderately, the momentum needs to be strengthened. As far as the civil aviation industry is concerned, the stability and efficiency of the aviation material supply chain have declined significantly, the delivery cycle of new aircraft and the procurement cycle of some aviation materials have been extended, and the key human resources of some countries have been lost to varying degrees, which has a great impact on the further recovery and development of the aviation industry in the future.
Second, operational risks are superimposed and intertwined, and the operating environment is more complex. After the epidemic, the recovery of flights in the Asia-Pacific region is higher than the global average. More frequent flight operations, airport expansion and non-stop construction, etc., will further increase the risk of runway confusion and runway intrusion; the increase in extreme weather has led to an increase in the risk of loss of control in the air and turbulence and injury. The impact of large-scale flight delays and diversions on operational order and personnel fatigue needs to be paid close attention to.
Third, new technologies such as automation, artificial intelligence, and drones bring derivative risks. The continuous upgrading of aircraft automation technology is prone to the risk of a decline in manual operation skills. How to effectively evaluate and maintain the handling capabilities of flight crews in emergency situations or when the automation system is degraded or fails is a topic that all countries need to study. While new technologies and new fields represented by artificial intelligence and drones are promoting the upgrading of the civil aviation industry and making it more convenient and efficient, they are also posing new challenges to safety. It is necessary to continuously improve relevant laws and regulations, strengthen data protection, and enhance the real-time perception and coordinated operation of the integrated flight situation of manned and drones, as well as safety early warning and alarm capabilities.
Distinguished guests, dear friends!
The Asia-Pacific region is one of the fastest growing regions in the world for air transport and a highland for international cooperation and exchange in the global civil aviation industry. It is of great significance to highlight the theme of "people-oriented, shaping safety" and jointly cope with risks and challenges to continuously improve the level of civil aviation safety in the Asia-Pacific region. Here, I put forward three proposals:
First, create a more open, inclusive and positive safety culture. Fully study and understand the differences between the local cultures of various countries and regions, give play to the advantages of the international and open nature of the civil aviation industry, continuously strengthen the exchange and mutual learning of safety culture among all parties, always adhere to life first and safety first, make safety culture an important driving force for building a high level of civil aviation safety, continuously strengthen the safety value concept and common pursuit of the Asia-Pacific civil aviation family, improve the safety awareness and overall quality of civil aviation practitioners, enhance the correct understanding and cognition of civil aviation safety by all sectors of society, and jointly create a healthier and more positive industry development environment.
Second, strengthen talent training and scientific and technological support. Focus on shaping a good industry image and market competitiveness of civil aviation, enhance the attractiveness to talents, and continuously strengthen the professionalization construction and full life cycle management of professional teams. In line with the trend of deepening globalization of civil aviation, we will increase the efforts to cultivate international talents and continue to provide strong support for international civil aviation governance. Adhering to the spirit of mutual trust, cooperation and win-win, we will actively promote the research and application of new technologies and work together to create new momentum and new advantages for safe development.
Third, promote international and regional cooperation and exchanges. In the field of civil aviation, we will fully implement the global development initiative, deepen bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the field of civil aviation, and jointly promote the inclusive, universal and balanced development of the global civil aviation industry, so that no country will be left behind. We will actively implement the Beijing Declaration and promote the achievement of the Delhi Declaration, and promote the common development of civil aviation in the world, especially in the Asia-Pacific region and the "Belt and Road" countries in terms of aviation safety, air navigation services, accident investigation and human resources.
Dear guests, dear friends!
The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, which just concluded in July, made a decision to further comprehensively deepen reforms and promote Chinese-style modernization. We believe that with the deepening of Chinese-style modernization, the growth expectations of China's air transport will be positive in the long run, and China will surely bring stronger momentum and more opportunities for the growth of civil aviation in the region and even the world. In the future, China's civil aviation will continue to follow the path of safe and high-quality development, unswervingly deepen reforms, uphold an open and inclusive attitude, promote innovation in safety concepts, systems, management and technology, and work together with civil aviation in various countries to make greater contributions to the safe and healthy development of world civil aviation. At the same time, I also hope that the delegates will continue to care about and support the high-quality development of China's civil aviation.
Finally, I wish the 2024 Asia-Pacific Aviation Safety Symposium a complete success.
Thank you all!
