CAAC Kudos for Safety

Flight Safety Foundation President and CEO William R. Voss presented the Civil Aviation Administration of China with the 2009 Aviation Week and Space Technology Distinguished Service Award at the Foundation's 62nd International Air Safety Seminar in Beijing, China. The award was accepted by Vice Administrator Jian Li. "The Flight Safety Foundation is pleased to recognize the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for successfully overseeing aviation safety despite the challenge of an air traffic growth rate twice the world average," commented Voss at the luncheon ceremony. "The CAAC is leading the country's aviation industry away from a compliance-based approach toward a performance-based approach, and that has helped China achieve an excellent safety record in recent years. The accomplishments of the CAAC in managing and regulating China's explosive aviation growth while achieving such an extraordinary safety record is the type of work that Jerry wanted to recognize when he dreamed up this award. Any national regulator can learn many lessons from the work the CAAC is doing," he added.