Aviation Safety Policy statement

Publication | 14-08-2024

Lees deze pagina in het Nederlands

The Netherlands is committed to continuously improving aviation safety in the Netherlands and the Caribbean Netherlands with the aim of achieving the highest attainable level of safety. The Minister of Infrastructuur en Waterstaat (Infrastructure and Water Management) is systemically responsible for the organisation of civil aviation in the Netherlands. The Coördinatiegroep Luchtvaartveiligheid, CLV (Aviation Safety Coordination Group) is set up to implement aviation safety policy on behalf of the minister. The CLV is made up of the Directoraat-generaal Luchtvaart en Maritieme zaken (Directorate-General of Civil Aviation and Maritime Affiars, the Luchtvaartautoriteit (CAA NL), the Onderzoeksraad voor Veiligheid (Dutch Safety Board) and the Militaire Luchtvaartautoriteit (Military Aviation Authority).

The below objectives are central to the CLV achieving this aim:

Safety policy and design of the safety system

• Continuous attention to the full implementation of international standards and recommended practices for ensuring safety.
• Complete implementation of the safety management system as laid down in ICAO Annex 19 and described in the Nederlands Luchtvaartveiligheidsprogramma, NLVP (State Safety Programme).
• Ensure the NLVP remains current and accurate through the use of a quality management system.
• Contribute to the drafting of the national and international legislative frameworks and applicable operational regulations.

Resources and manpower

• Make available sufficient financial and other resources and manpower to adequately conduct safety management, oversight services and accident investigations.
• Ensuring qualifications and training of personnel (experience/expertise) with appropriate skills to competently carry out safety management, oversight services and accident investigation.

Safety culture

• Maintain and promote a positive 'safety culture' in aviation authorities and the aviation industry.
• Maintain and promote a 'just culture'. This involves not punishing individuals unless there is gross negligence, wilful misconduct or acts of destruction.

Control and safeguard safety risks

• Admission of individuals, organisations and aircraft to the aviation system if all safety requirements are demonstrably met.
• Ensuring that individuals, organisations and aircraft continue to meet established safety requirements, using a data-driven and performance-based approach wherever possible.
• Oversee the implementation and enforcement of safety management systems for aviation organisations; 
• Record deficiencies, monitor control measures and intervene when necessary.

Safety analysis

• Capture occurrence reports and provide analysis for policymakers, regulators and industry parties.
• Monitor aviation system safety performance by using safety indicators.
• Identify safety trends in the aviation industries and establish a risk-based approach for addressing topics of major safety concern or need.
• Identify and where possible mitigate the biggest national safety risks in collaboration with the aviation industry.
• Investigate aviation accidents and incidents and prepare recommendations for targeted resolution of safety issues.

Promotion of safety and sharing of information

• Encourage stakeholders to collect, analyse and share safety information for the sole purpose of using it for aviation safety management.
• Make available, and actively communicate safety information to aviation organisations and governments to promote aviation safety.

Development and innovation

• Support innovation and sustainable development within the aviation sector, including unmanned aviation and general aviation, provided that safety is not compromised.

The Civil Aviation Authority the Netherlands (CAA-NL) will specifically, in the areas of healthy living environment and sustainability:

• Contribute to the development and implementation of an ambitious environmental policy at both national and international levels, and following the implementation of the policy, contribute to the establishment and execution of oversight, monitoring and enforcement services.
• Engage in dialogue, and where possible, cooperate with residents living near airports as well as airport interest groups with the aim to include the perspective of citizens and residents and contribute to a healthy living environment in its oversight service capacity.

Signed by:

H. van Faassen
Director of Civil Aviation
Director General of Civil Aviation and Maritime Affairs

K. Visser
Accountable Manager for CAA NL
Director of Oversight and Investigation at Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport, ILT (Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate)

Date: 2 July 2024
Reference: IENW/BSK – 2024/185975