As you change flight levels, you need to pay close attention
during the transition….
Challenge 98 has been our most recent principal planning document moving the
Civil Aviation program forward from the major departmental reorganization and
transition in 1996. It has provided a much-needed focus on our role as safety
managers and the immediate challenge to work together as a team to maintain the
high standard of safety enjoyed in the air transportation system in Canada. With
the more specific "Challenge 98" initiatives either completed or ongoing,
it is now time to change flight levels – to establish new safety goals and plans for
the next five years.
We can all be proud of the recent assessment by the International
Civil Aviation Organization which confirmed that our Civil Aviation safety
program is second to none in the world. However, with the predicted
increases in traffic levels, in order to keep the number of accidents from
increasing and to maintain public confidence in aviation safety, we need
to lower the accident rate. I believe that our national Civil Aviation
team and our partners in the aviation community can improve upon the
safety standard. "Flight 2005" is about making that push to a
higher safety standard – raising the flight level.
To remain successful we must challenge the status quo, refine
existing practices, adopt new best practices, focus on where we want to be
in the next five years and what strategies we need to embrace to get
there. "Flight 2005" has been designed to establish Civil
Aviation’s contribution to the department’s strategic plan for
transportation safety and security. With the collective thoughts of both
Civil Aviation staff and industry stakeholders, we now have a framework
within which to partner towards this new safety level.
This safety framework identifies our operating principles and
values, describes the directions for the next five years, provides safety
targets, and shows what the key results will be. Individual initiatives or
adjustments to oversight activities required as a result of "Flight
2005", will be contained in complementary plans identifying
priorities, initiatives and performance indicators for each branch of the
Civil Aviation team.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have
contributed to the development of this framework either as part of the
Civil Aviation team, the aviation community, or individually. "Flight
2005" represents an effective partnership – one that will enable us
to meet our vision of having the safest civil aviation system in the
world.
I encourage you to become familiar with our new safety goals and
plans, and find out how you can contribute to the achievement of our
targets. While they may seem ambitious, I believe they are attainable
through the dedication and professionalism of the Transport Canada Civil
Aviation team and our partners in the aviation community.
Art LaFlamme
Director General
Civil Aviation
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