IAA Approval & Oversight of Cabin Crew Training
This presentation shall deal with the Irish Aviation Authority approach to innovative technologies in Cabin Crew Training across the Industry.
The IAA, like other EU Member State National Civil Aviation Authorities, has become a part of the EASA Project for developing guidance in Innovative Technologies for Cabin Crew Training. The change has become inevitable due to the impact that COVID, and subsequent global pandemic, has had on society in general and specifically the fast-paced demand within our growing Aviation Industry.
As training could not stop during the initial impact of COVID, ICAO, EASA, and all National Civil Authorities had to facilitate the demands of the Industry. The immediate area to address was with recurrent training, where the currency of all Aircrew had to be maintained. The Irish operators approached the IAA with different solutions, which had been rarely used before COVID hit.
The IAA understands the inevitable demand for a change therefore, as the Regulator, we must prepare ourselves and fully understand different types of innovative methodologies. At the same time, we must ensure all regulatory requirements and essential compliance is adhered to by operators and training organisations at all times.
The IAA is a member of two focus groups where subject matters experts from the Industry, along with the EASA representatives, are preparing the guidance material to support the introduction of innovative technologies in cabin crew training. We are using the same approach that has been developed for evaluating new training devices – the FSTD Capability Signature (FCS) – RMT.0196, in which the approach and acquired experienced have been defined as the most acceptable.
As the Authority, we are also ensuring the focus groups are not only dealing with the new training tools, devices or innovative methodologies in Cabin Crew Training, but we would like to ensure the competencies of all qualified instructors actively participating in deliveries while using new approaches are also considered and highlighted.
Our aim is to be prepared for every eventuality while ensuring no shortcuts are taken