I was surprised this week by a New York Times article: FAA Orders Airlines to Devise Plans to Identify Risks.

What’s the driver for these risk assessments?  The International Civil Aviation Association (ICAO) is part of the United Nations.  ICAO rules impact 191 countries.  The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the US signatory to ICAO.  As such, they are now mandating airlines to develop risk based plans, which are also called Safety Management Systems. Continue reading →