Kazakhstan to strengthen aviation incident investigation
The Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan (AAK) and the Center for Investigation of Transport Accidents and Incidents have agreed to significantly expand their cooperation. The memorandum of understanding is aimed at improving flight safety and preventing in-flight incidents. It was signed by AAK CEO Michael Daniel and Center for Investigation of Transport Accidents and Incidents Chairman Darkhan Katyshev and is expected to elevate aviation incident investigations to the international standards.
Division of responsibilities
One of the memorandum’s key provisions is a strict division of responsibilities between the two bodies. Until now, the mixing of oversight tasks with the independent analysis of the causes of incidents could lead to organizational overlaps.
Now, the Aviation Administration of Kazakhstan focuses exclusively on state regulation, certification and ongoing oversight of the sector. In turn, the Center for Investigation of Transport Accidents and Incidents is responsible for independently and objectively determining the causes of aviation incidents and accidents.
Specialists from both bodies will regularly exchange analytical materials, raw data, risk databases and joint findings to amend existing legislation.
Preparing for ICAO inspections
Under the memorandum, the parties intend to align their work with key international standards — Annexes 13, «Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation,» and 19, «Safety Management,» to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.
Another area of cooperation is preparing Kazakhstan for a comprehensive ICAO audit under the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme’s Continuous Monitoring Approach (USOAP CMA). The international audit assesses the state’s ability to promptly identify systemic risks and ensure effective oversight of civil aviation safety.
The Aviation Administration emphasizes that the established information-sharing system will help identify hidden risks more accurately before they lead to incidents.
