At its virtual Ground Handling Safety Symposium this week, NATA announced the creation of the Ground Safety Alliance (GSA), a collaborative, industry-led, data-gathering body that will work to raise the bar on aircraft ground-handling operations and reduce the number of incidents. While injuries arising from these incidents are rare, "hangar rash," towing mishaps, and ground vehicle-aircraft collisions often result in costly aircraft damage.
“Data is critical for aviation business success and has been used to improve safety in aircraft operations for years,” said Michael France, NATA’s managing director for safety and training. “The GSA will provide the foundation for ground-handling operators and other industry stakeholders to collaborate on the collection, analysis, and distribution of safety data and intelligence.”
The fledgling GSA’s governing board includes industry experts from Atlantic Aviation, Tac Air, Signature Flight Support, NetJets, Sheltair Aviation, Jet Aviation, Cutter Aviation, American Aero FTW, and First Wing Jet Center. It is currently working to establish a robust data collection system that protects confidentiality while providing operational insight.
Over the coming weeks, the alliance will invite other FBOs, aircraft operators, safety consultants, and others to join this push to improve safety through data collection.