Global airline association updated manual prioritizes family assistance

October 17th 2025

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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has released its revised Emergency Response Best Practices Handbook. Read More » For the first time, it includes detailed guidance for family assistance. “Accidents are rare. But when they happen people are affected. Not only those onboard but those waiting on the ground. Individuals impacted must feel supported, informed and respected. This new chapter will help the aviation industry meet those expectations in a timely and effective manner as documented by ICAO and IOSA,” IATA senior vice president, operations, safety and security, Nick Careen, said. The family assistance chapter in the revised IATA manual provides guidance and practical tools for airlines to meet IOSA and ICAO requirements. It requires timely notification be given to families before releasing passenger names to the public, equipping airline teams to answer questions and provide information to impacted families, establish a Family Assistance Center to offer essential services, develop procedures for the handling of personal effects, deliver ongoing contact, claims handling, memorial planning and employee debriefings in the days following an accident.

Aviation safety conference delegates urged to share data

Technology allows airlines to extract a lot of data that can improve safety and construct a more complete picture, but it is necessary to cross-reference it with other data bases, IATA said. “Now a single airplane can produce the same amount of data as an entire airline did in the 1990s,” Atos chief growth officer, Clay van Doren, said. The biggest change must be data sharing between airlines, airports and regulators, he said. Already there are functioning tools to enable more advanced data sharing and airlines need to start using them, he said. IATA runs several data-sharing programs. At its World Safety and Operations Conference (WSOC) in Xiamen this week, it introduced the aims and benefits of these programs. In the presentation, representatives of airlines, including Cathay Pacific and Hainan Airlines, told delegates participating in GADM transformed their safety strategies.

Xiamen Airlines hosted global conference draws to successful close

On October 16, IATA’s World Safety and Operations Conference (WSOC) held in Xiamen drew to a successful conclusion after three days of intensive panel discussions and workshops. WSOC featured more than 45 hours of expert opinion and industry experience and was attended by 853 participants from 70 countries, IATA said. Attendees welcomed the discussions about safety issues and praised the high preparation level of the participants. Host carrier, Xiamen Airlines, was complimented for its organization of the summit and associated hospitality. Experts from Xiamen Airlines, and industry leaders from elsewhere in China, shared their knowledge with WSOC delegates. A highlight of the joint closing plenary ceremony was a presentation by Wu Guanghui, the chief scientist and chief designer of the COMAC Large Passenger Jet C919. He detailed the decision process and challenges involved in developing the aircraft.

The 2026 WSOC, to be hosted by Turkish Airlines, will be in Istanbul from October 6 to October 8.