Press release
Position Paper IFALPA: Survivability and Evacuation Aspects in Final Reports
Final reports of occurrences that involved an evacuation of the aircraft usually lack consistency when it comes to describing the evacuation process. This is, however, an essential safety aspect, and IFALPA believes that final reports should always include a thorough study of the evacuation sequence and survivability, in accordance with the provisions of ICAO Doc 9756, along with the relevant safety recommendations.
Position Paper IFALPA: Use of Social Media by Pilots
Social media has blurred the line between our professional and personal lives. Posting a status update or short comment may seem innocuous, but what pilots do and say on social media may have serious consequences. Pilots are encouraged to always adhere to their company policy regarding social media, and in the absence of policy, to practice extreme caution. Read and share the Position in full.
Position Paper IFALPA: Yellow Runway Edge Lights
It has been interpreted that the ICAO provision detailed in Annex 14, 5.3.9.7(b) “at the remote end of the runway from the end at which the take-off run is started” in a way that runways used for landings do not need yellow edge lights on the last one-third or 600m of a runway. According to the IATA Safety Report 2019-2024, 31 out of 40 runway excursions occurred during landings (...)
Position Paper IFALPA: Lithium Battery Fire/Smoke Risk on the Flight Deck
Lithium battery fire and smoke events in aviation pose various safety risks. Studies by EASA, FAA, and ICAO highlight the risk of lithium battery and Personal Electronic Device (PED) fire and smoke in the flight deck. A fire of any magnitude in the flight deck is a serious event and a risk to flight safety, but lithium battery fires may be impossible to contain. It is the unique characteristics of a lithium battery thermal runaway event that creates an increased risk dimension to this hazard mitigation issue (...)
Position Paper IFALPA: Fire Risk from Lithium Batteries in Airport Vehicles
Electrification of airside service vehicles is gradually becoming a normalized and integral part of airport operations with electric cars and other lithium battery powered airport ground equipment already being widely used in many airport environments. It is anticipated that other airport machinery, such as pushback vehicles, fuelling trucks and loading equipment, airport installations or ground / facility units, will be introduced in pursuit of carbon neutral goals of airports and air operators. The continuance of this trend will inevitably increase the number of electric vehicles used airside at airports, including in proximity to aircraft, which will increase the risk of an electric vehicle fire affecting aircraft and other critical infrastructure (...)
Position Paper IFALPA: Energy Content of Lithium Batteries in Air Cargo
ICAO adopted a provision to limit the State of Charge (SOC) of bulk Lithium-Ion Batteries (UN 3480) and Lithium-Ion Batteries packed with equipment (UN 3481) shipped as cargo on aircraft to 30%. Research by Underwriters Laboratories(1) and the FAA(2)(3) as well as other unpublished data indicate that failures involving current models of lithium-ion batteries at SOC below 30% are unlikely to result in thermal runaway, and if there is thermal runaway, propagation from one cell to another is unlikely. Flammable gas production is also greatly reduced for tested batteries with reduced SOC. Lithium-ion batteries transported at less than 30% SOC are also less likely to aggravate a fire in case of exposure to an external flame source (...)
Position Paper IFALPA: Transparency in Safety Management Systems
Transparency in Safety Management Systems (SMS) is imperative to the overall success of the program. It is essential for open, fair, and traceable processes. It promotes clear communication of safety-related information, data integrity, and openness in decision- making. It also provides feedback for safety reporting, which serves as an incentive for a Positive Safety Culture (...)
Joint Industry Statement on the Misuse of International Aeronautical Emergency Frequency 121.5 MHz
The Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (IFALPA) and the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers' Associations (IFATCA) have come together to issue this critical joint statement addressing the misuse of the International Aeronautical Emergency Frequency 121.5 MHz. This frequency, reserved exclusively for emergency communications, is vital to ensuring swift responses to distress situations. The inappropriate use of this frequency may pose a serious risk to flight safety, delaying critical assistance to those in need. We urge all aviation stakeholders to carefully consider the importance of safeguarding this frequency and to take immediate steps to ensure it is used strictly for its intended purposes.
Position Paper IFALPA: Pilot Participation in Safety Risk Assessments
IFALPA strongly supports the implementation and execution of thorough risk assessments by safety departments to ensure in-depth safety analysis. Most current risk assessment practices do not include pilot safety advocates from the Member Association. IFALPA recognizes the vital role of these frontline pilots in ensuring the highest standards of aviation safety. The positive effect on flight safety through risk assessments in the context of a functioning safety management system is well recognized (...)
Position Paper IFALPA: PED Smoke or Fire Response Kits
Some airlines have been providing containment bags or boxes to crew members as part of their Dangerous Goods smoke or fire response kits, to deal with a potential thermal runaway of PEDs. IFALPA believes that these items need to meet certain requirements before being considered suitable for use (...)