Nov. 6, 2001
Working to Ensure Safer Skies
FAA Awards $3 Million To GW Consortium for Developing
International Aviation Safety and Security Program
By Bob
Ludwig
The Federal Aviation Administration has awarded $3 million to a consortium
headed by The George Washington University to develop an international
aviation safety and security program. The program will be designed to
improve the safety and security oversight of foreign air carriers that
conduct operations in the United States. The funding may continue for
an additional two years for a total of $9 million.
GW and George Mason University, the other university member of the consortium,
will develop an executive program to assist foreign civil aviation authorities
with meeting air safety and security standards established by the International
Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). For foreign carriers to operate
in the United States, the homeland government must meet these standards
for overseeing the safety and security procedures of its airlines and
airports.
Given the current challenges facing US aviation in safety and
security, it is clear that we must address these issues globally, and
this program will accomplish that goal, says Vahid Motevalli,
director of aviation safety and security programs at GW. We are
very eager to do our part to ensure the safety and security of the flying
public by developing this program in cooperation with the FAA and George
Mason University.
This program is designed to provide a forum for executive-level government
officials, such as the president, minister of transportation, or director
general of aviation, to develop the best practices for meeting their
countrys obligations as signatories to ICAO standards.
The international aviation safety and security program will provide
a sophisticated and high-level environment for requirements of national
aviation safety oversight and security programs that meet the ICAO standards.
Participants will have an opportunity to exchange ideas with aviation
experts and other US government representatives through an understanding
of the legal framework, the latest safety and security practices, procedures,
and materials, and the technical and human resources needed to implement
and maintain effective aviation safety and security oversight programs.
Irwin Price, executive dean of GWs Virginia Campus, calls this
new program an example of partnership between universities, government,
and industry to address some very pressing needs in aviation.
Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu