Bahrain Airport Company (BAC), the operator and managing body of Bahrain International Airport (BIA), launched a Voluntary Reporting System (VRS) to further enhance BIA’s safety culture. The system provides a platform for the airport community to confidentially report safety hazards, voice concerns, and submit recommendations for improvement, ensuring secure, sustainable, and efficient operations. Airport personnel are protected from disciplinary action in line with BAC’s non-punitive reporting policy. All reports are analyzed and appropriate corrective and preventive actions are implemented as necessary.
BAC Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah said: “BAC strives to maintain the highest aviation standards at BIA and continuously works to improve the airport’s safety processes and procedures. The VRS is a vital component of a mature aviation safety system and complements the existing mandatory reporting system. For the VRS to work effectively, airport personnel must have confidence that their identities are protected and that they will not face punitive measures for voicing concerns. In line with best practices, this system is used at all major airports, encouraging staff to report key safety information, and allowing issues to be identified early and mitigated through corrective action.”
He added: “Although incidents within the aviation industry are notably low, having a reporting system in place further minimizes potential safety issues. BAC encourages all members of the airport community to report unsafe conditions, be vigilant of potential hazards, and share their concerns. We remain committed to providing passengers with a safe, comfortable, and hassle-free travel experience, as well as a safe working environment for all airport employees.”
The introduction of the VRS is in line with international standards, recommendations, and best practices, and supports BIA’s existing Aerodrome Safety Management System. All airport employees can access the user-friendly system, which will enhance the safety and efficacy of all airside activities.
The aviation community has moved away from the ‘forensic’ approach of making safety improvements based solely on accident investigations to a proactive strategy that incorporates a mix of flight data, data from other government agencies, and voluntarily submitted information from airport employees.
Voluntary reporting programs significantly contribute to a nation’s commercial aviation safety record, leading to improvements in training as well as enhanced operational and maintenance procedures.