Steadily Enhancing Aviation Safety in Our Aircraft
Florence Le Marchand, currently in charge of safety enhancement at Airbus, has been instrumental in the company's efforts to improve aircraft safety beyond regulatory standards. With a Master's degree in aeronautical mechanics and extensive experience in the industry, Le Marchand's role involves analyzing events and launching preventive actions.
Le Marchand's preventive mindset extends beyond accidents involving Airbus aircraft, encompassing events involving other manufacturers as well. Her career at Airbus began as a subcontractor installing systems on the A400M, and she spent 15 years in Customer Support Engineering in the Cabin & Cargo and Flight Controls departments.
The Airbus Safety Enhancement team, under Le Marchand's leadership, employs several key methods and initiatives. These include proactive risk assessment and formalized safety processes, integration and adherence to advanced global safety systems, data-driven monitoring and improvement of health and safety performance, climate resilience and adaptation training, and ongoing innovation and strategic foresight.
Proactive risk assessment and formalized safety processes ensure a structured approach to identifying and mitigating potential hazards. As of 2024, 74% of Airbus operational sites have implemented formal risk assessment processes, reflecting a strong commitment to proactive safety management.
Integration and adherence to advanced global safety systems, such as the Global Aeronautical Distress and Safety System (GADSS), mandate that new aircraft be equipped with automatic distress detection and real-time location transmission capabilities, enhancing situational awareness and accident prevention.
Data-driven monitoring and improvement of health and safety performance use company-specific indicators to identify trends and target interventions for workforce safety. Climate resilience and adaptation training recognize that environmental factors impact operational safety and reliability, and offer bespoke methodologies, ongoing training, and awareness programs to enhance understanding of climate risks and integrate mitigation strategies into safety management systems.
Ongoing innovation and strategic foresight align with next-generation aviation concepts, including support for advanced air mobility and unmanned aircraft systems, which necessitate evolving safety standards and collaborative approaches to risk management.
A weekly safety risk analysis is conducted with engineering, maintenance, operations, and human performance specialists. Le Marchand is also part of the Airbus "Go Team", a team of experts who advise Accident Investigation Authorities.
The falling number of serious accidents motivates Airbus to strive for even greater safety. Information for identifying areas for improvement comes from in-service events, Airbus customer support, engineering, and production lines. A recommendation following an accident involving another manufacturer led Airbus to review and improve its management of radio altimeter data.
Airbus programs routinely surpass certification requirements. With Airbus aircraft operating 40,000 flights a day, carrying more than two billion passengers annually, the company's commitment to safety is paramount. In the event of an Airbus accident, the ICAO Annex 13 activities are initiated by the investigation board and supported by Airbus accident investigators.
Le Marchand's goal is to continually improve the safety of Airbus aircraft and develop new safety enhancements with a "safety beyond standard" approach. The prevention mindset at Airbus extends beyond accidents involving Airbus aircraft to events involving other manufacturers as well, reflecting a comprehensive and proactive approach to aviation safety.
[1] Airbus (2022). Airbus Safety Report 2021. Retrieved from https://www.airbus.com/content/dam/airbus/documents/company/airbus-safety-report-2021.pdf
[3] Airbus (2021). Airbus Safety Report 2020. Retrieved from https://www.airbus.com/content/dam/airbus/documents/company/airbus-safety-report-2020.pdf
[4] Airbus (2021). Airbus Protect. Retrieved from https://www.airbus.com/aircraft/services/airbus-protect.html
Le Marchand's preventive approaches are not limited to Airbus aircraft, as she extends her safety analysis to events involving other aircraft manufacturers, demonstrating a comprehensive approach to industry-wide safety. Additionally, the Airbus Safety Enhancement team, under Le Marchand's leadership, incorporates advanced financial and technological resources, such as data-driven monitoring and the implementation of advanced global safety systems like GADSS, from the aerospace sector, to enhance aircraft safety beyond regulatory standards.
