Mexico City, Mexico (June 20, 2017) - Aviation safety professionals are gathering in Mexico City this week for the 8th Annual Pan American Aviation Safety Summit taking place June 19 - 21, 2017.

Hosted by ALTA (the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association) in partnership with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), International Air Transport Association (IATA), Flight Safety Foundation, and host carrier Aeromexico, the Summit focuses on reviewing safety trends and developing solutions that are critical to the future of the aviation industry, specifically in the Pan American region. Collaborators also include Airports Council International (ACI), CANAERO, Asociación del Transporte Aereo en Colombia (ATAC), Central American Agency for Aviation Safety (ACSA), Civil Air Navigation Services Organization (CANSO), Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (IFALPA), and International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations (IFATCA).

The collaborative actions stemming from key conversations, seminars, and safety committee meetings with influential industry professionals on mutual concerns and emerging issues have contributed significantly to the improvement of aviation safety in the region.

The Pan American Safety Summit's agenda serves to foster the exchange of ideas and information, strengthen strategic business connections and shape industry standards through various trainings, panel discussions and seminars focused on mitigation strategies for the top data-driven risk areas in the region.

Attendees include airlines, civil aviation authorities, aviation associations, flight schools, safety experts, operators (commercial, cargo, and corporate), airport personnel, and air traffic control representatives with executives from ICAO, FAA, ALTA, IATA, ACI-LAC, CANSO, Flight Safety Foundation, and aircraft manufacturers such as Airbus, ATR, Boeing and Embraer.

"Safety is ALTA's number one priority and as a result of a concerted and collaborative focus by ALTA member airlines on safety, the accident rate in the Latin America and Caribbean region has reduced dramatically over the past ten years," said ALTA's Executive Director, Eduardo Iglesias. "The collaborative efforts of regulators, manufacturers, and industry have helped us accomplish our 2020 safety goals before that date. And we accomplished this while doubling domestic and international traffic in the region - even tripling it in some markets - over the past ten years. This is a great achievement that we are proud of. We have succeeded in making tremendous improvements in safety and we will continue working on this front, but we need to do so in partnership with airports, authorities, and governments who understand the immense value of air transport."

During the opening session, Mike Medeiros, Executive Director of Operations and Maintenance (COO) of Aeromexico, speaking on behalf of ALTA's Executive Committee, discussed the immense importance that aviation in Latin America and the Caribbean provides in benefiting the social and economic impact of the region in generating such job creation, increasing tourism, connectivity and trade.

At the same time, there are important challenges to address in order to ensure this growth, including a marked lack of infrastructure investment through airports and air navigation systems, as well an uneven system of fees and taxes that in many cases are not reinvested in developing the industry.

The importance that air navigation has on daily operations and its impact on safety and efficient operations is critical and requires more attention and investment. There is a need to accelerate the implementation of satellite and performance based navigation (PBN), and greater integration and exchange of data between control centers with emphasis on technology as a tool of renovation. All of which would not only benefit in terms of safety and efficiency, but also the environment as a result of CO2 emissions reductions.

Airlines in the region have already invested greatly, and will continue to invest significant resources in technological innovation and efficiency, which in some cases cannot fully be operated, due to these infrastructure gaps. As a result of the industry's investments in terms of safety, today the region operates a system of risk analysis using a database, including more than three million flights, which allows it to identify risks and manage those risks proactively.

"The region wants to continue being a worldwide leader in terms of safety, efficiency and an engine for economic development, and forums such as the ALTA Pan American Aviation Safety Summit allows us to exchange experiences, analyze trends, train our collaborators and generate work plans with the objective of even further improving our operations," added Medeiros.

Ing. Jorge Romero García, Deputy Director General of Air Security of the Civil Aviation Authority of Mexico officially opened the 8th Pan American Aviation Safety Summit.

Additional panel discussions and interactive sessions for this year's Safety Summit Agendaare focused on:
Regional Aviation Safety Group - Pan America (RASG-PA) 2016- 2017 Update: Reaching 2020 Goal to Reduce Fatality Risk by 50%
Collaborative Safety Teams - Challenges in Developing Trust in Safety
Do's and Don'ts in Data Analysis
Safety Initiatives in the Pan American Region - The Importance of Focusing on Training
Technology Allowing to Reduce High Risk Events
Benefits of HUD Display
Improving Safety in the Region - Emergency Response
Reducing Risk Through Surveillance
Collaboration Among ATC and Pilots to Improve Safety - SID STAR
Bird Strike Mitigation
We Share the Skies - Integrating Regional Domestic Operators to RASG-PA Safety Initiatives
Safety Session for Governments and Non-Airline Participants - Evidence-Based Training
Collaborative Safety Teams Guidance for States - Brazilian Aviation Safety Team Presentation
State Safety Program (SSP) in the European Union
Sponsors for this year's Pan American Safety Summit are Aerobytes, Airbus, Aireon, ATR, CGE Risk Management, ERGOSS, Flight Safety Foundation, Rockwell Collins, and Teledyne Controls.