Aviation safety: a quality perspective

“Safety is no accident.” It is not a coincidence that this slogan appears often in FAA literature, correspondence and advisory circulars. It is a frequent reminder to all of us that reliability and safety in aviation is a team effort and that all individuals are responsible for doing their part towards the maintenance of a safe flying environment. Presents aviation safety in the TQM framework of customer focus, continuous process improvement and total involvement. Identifies customers at various levels and illustrates, with examples, how continuous improvement occurs. Highlights the mechanism in place which helps ensure these improvements. Shows that total involvement yields safety, reliability and quality in the aviation services that we receive today. Discusses the presence and prevalence of TQM in various sectors of aviation and suggests that further continual improvements are still needed in today’s aviation.