AirAsia India passes major safety audit

The AirAsia Group’s safety strategy continues to pay off with AirAsia India following hot on the heels of AirAsia Thailand to pass a major international safety audit. The accreditation under the International Air Transport Association’s Operational Safety Audit leaves just one member of the AirAsia Group, AirAsia Japan, still going through the process. It is expected to achieve accreditation soon to make the entire AirAsia Group IOSA compliant. AirAsia India follows AirAsia Thailand’s announcement in February and comes after similar achievements by AirAsia X Thailand in December 2018,  AirAsia Philippines in November 2018, AirAsia Malaysia in September 2018, AirAsia Indonesia in August 2018 and AirAsia X (Malaysia) in 2015. READ: Lowest air traffic growth in a decade 'tip of the iceberg'. The IOSA certification audit is an internationally recognized and accepted evaluation system designed to assess the operational management and control systems of an airline. The biennial safety audit is compulsory for IATA members and airlines that have completed the audit have a safety record almost four times better than those that have not. It covers eight key areas: corporate organization and management systems, flight operations, operational control – flight dispatch, aircraft engineering and maintenance, cabin operations, ground handling, cargo operations and operational security. AirAsia India, a joint venture between India’s Tata and Sons Private Limited and AirAsia Investment Limited, began operations in 2014. It currently flies to 21 destinations and boasts a fleet of 29 A320 aircraft. “We are proud to announce that we have successfully completed the IATA operational audit,’’  AirAsia India chief executive Sunil Bhaskaran said about the accreditation. “We will now strive to ensure that we always maintain the highest standards of safety and operational integrity at all times.”