The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that RwandAir has become the latest signatory in Africa to the IATA Safety Leadership Charter. The Charter is aimed at strengthening organizational safety culture, which is an area of focus in IATA’s Collaborative Aviation Safety Improvement Program (CASIP), under Focus Africa. 

Safety leaders from more than 40 airlines are the first signatories. RwandAir has beaten Kenya Airways to become the second carrier in Africa to sign up after Ethiopian Airlines which made the commitment at the launch of the Safety Leadership Charter in September 2023.

“At RwandAir, safety is not just a priority but a fundamental principle guiding our operations,” said Ms Yvonne Makolo, CEO of RwandAir. “Our organizational culture is deeply rooted in robust safety practices, making it the cornerstone of our operational integrity.”

By signing the IATA Safety Leadership Charter, Ms Makolo said RwandAir is not only reaffirming its unwavering commitment to a culture of safety but also recognizing the imperative to continuously build on the work that has gone before.

Mr Kamil Alawadhi, IATA’ Regional Vice-President for Africa and the Middle East, said enhancing aviation safety in Africa is not just a critical priority but a fundamental component of the continent’s overall development, noting that fostering a robust safety culture is paramount.

“We commend RwandAir’s leadership for their commitment to safety by signing the IATA Safety Leadership Charter. This clearly demonstrates their dedication to cultivating a strong safety culture and continuously striving for improvements that benefit not only RwandAir but the broader industry as well,” Mr Alawadhi said.

The IATA Safety Leadership Charter was developed in consultation with IATA members and the wider aviation community to support industry executives in continuing evolving a positive safety culture within their organizations.

Safety Leadership guiding principles include:

• Leading the obligation to safety through both words and actions.
• Fostering safety awareness among employees, the leadership team, and the board.
• Creating an atmosphere of trust, where all employees feel responsible for safety and are encouraged and expected to report safety-related information.
• Guiding the integration of safety into business strategies, processes, and performance measures and creating the internal capacity to manage and achieve organizational safety goals.
• Regularly assessing and improving organizational safety culture.

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