Emirates boasts perfect IATA safety audit score

Emirates announced that it achieved a perfect score in its latest audit by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), something that is a “rare occurrence in the industry given the complexity of airline operations”.

IATA’s Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) covers over 1,000 standards and recommended practices and is done over a period of five days, determining how well an airline’s operational management system complies with IOSA’s Standards and Recommended Practices (ISARP). In order for an airline to retain its IATA membership, it has to be IOSA registered and must be compliant with the ISARP to retain that registration.

“Safety is one of Emirates’ core values, and since day one, we’ve continually invested to ensure that our operations meet the most rigorous safety standards,” said Tim Clark, the President of Emirates, adding that completing the audit with zero findings was “a notable achievement, especially in the context of our rapid operational upscaling post-pandemic and the global nature of Emirates’ network”.

“We’ll continue to work hard and contribute to ensuring a safe and sustainable aviation industry,” concluded Clark.

The airline, which runs an Airbus A380 and Boeing 777-only fleet, has not had a fatal crash in its 37-year history. However, it had to write off a Boeing 777 following an accident in August 2016, when the aircraft, following its arrival at Dubai International Airport (DXB), had to initiate a go-around due to wind shear. The pilots’ failure to properly monitor primary flight instrument panels resulted in the Triple Seven hitting the runway with its landing gear still retracting. A subsequent explosion resulted in the death of a firefighter at DXB.