When, in my last Editor’s Message of 2013, I looked ahead to 2014, I didn’t foresee an airliner missing for months, or one getting shot down as it flew a scheduled flight from Europe to Asia. But that’s the reality the global aviation industry faces following the dual tragedies of Malaysia Airlines MH370 and MH17. Hundreds of passengers and crew are dead, or missing and presumed dead, and the industry is left searching for answers as to what happened and how to mitigate the risk of either happening again.
To that end, two industry task forces have been convened to study the relevant issues and make recommendations. The first, the Aircraft Tracking Task Force (ATTF), is being led by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and comprises subject matter experts from IATA, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), airlines, equipment manufacturers, air navigation service providers, labor groups and Flight Safety Foundation, among others. The ATTF, working wit…
