Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has passed a rigorous aviation industry safety audit conducted by International Air Transport Association (Iata), the global industry trade group of airlines.

The airline met all required standards after a team from the Iata Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) examined the airline’s safety procedures and processes in detail, it said in a statement.

The audit seeks to ensure that airlines are compliant with safety requirements and recommended practices determined by Iata. It is the most important examination of Etihad’s business to take place.

“Safety is our number one priority and the positive results are testament to the commitment to our safety culture,” said James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ chief executive officer. “We will continue to implement the most stringent safety processes and procedures in everything we do.”

Etihad also met all standards of the IOSA audit in both the 2006 and 2008 audits. The audit is repeated with adapting standards every two years to ensure on-going compliance.

A team of five external auditors from Iata spent five days evaluating procedures and processes in eight operational areas of the organisation before issuing a report.

IOSA audits are mandatory for all Iata member airlines and require meeting 966 separate standards in eight operational areas, including operations management, flight operations, cabin operations, maintenance, flight dispatch, ground and cargo operations and security. – TradeArabia News Service