2018

THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF AIRWORTHINESS

Business Plan 2018 – 2021John Vincent

Approved and published under the authority of the IFA Board.

First Edition – 2018

UK Charity No: 296354

Title Page

1. Table of Contents 1

2. Vision, Mission, Objectives Values

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3. Message from the CEO 3

4. Global Aviation Context 3

5. Strategic Objectives 4

6. 3-year plan: Table 1 5

7. 3-year Financial Plan 6

8. Organisation 7

9. Appendices 7

a) TOP TEN 8

b) SWOT Analysis 9

c) General Assumptions 11

1

Vision

To be the most internationally respected independent authority on Airworthiness.

Mission

To contribute to the debate and formation of policies, which affect the Airworthiness of civil aircraft worldwide, and to influence Regulators, Airlines, Maintenance Organisations and Governments to constantly improve aviation safety. 

Objectives

To, with the industry and regulatory bodies promote the development of Airworthiness worldwide;

To develop sponsorship support from both industry and regulatory bodies; 

To develop the Corporate, Associate, Student and Apprentice membership for the benefit of aviation.

Values

Accountability: We take responsibility for achieving our objectives. We do what we say we shall do. We do what is right, not merely what is expected.

Integrity: We act with openness, integrity and trust. We will be unbiased.

Networking: We are one aviation community across all sectors and geographies. We work towards a common goal through cooperation and teamwork.

Drive: We are relentless in our pursuit of success. Together we approach each task with the energy, passion and persistence.

Coherence: We treat each other with respect regardless of status. We act professionally and together we celebrate our success with pride.

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Message from the CEO

I believe, we have the unique opportunity to ensue IFA accomplishes its mission as the Airworthiness organisation for international civil aviation. It can strengthen its role within the global aviation sector to the benefit of all. The years ahead, 2018-2021 will be challenging as new technologies, new business models and governmental changes come into play. This business plan preserves the best of the past but updates our approach to match the challenges ahead.

The IFA Business Plan 2018 – 2021 is a living document and a joint endeavour between the Board and the Secretariat. I commend it to you.

John Vincent

IFA CEO

Global Aviation Context

With 4 billion passengers, 50 million tons of freight, some 1400 commercial airlines, 26700 aircraft in service and 100000 daily flights around the world, aviation is a global industry affecting everyone.

Aviation is the great connector of people and the world. To do so there must be trust that it is safe to fly. Accidents numbers are reducing while sectors flown are increasing year after year, demonstrating that the industry is safe.

Airworthiness is about past, present and future. It’s about aircraft, procedures and people. It’s about design, manufacturing, maintenance, repair and overhaul. There are two distinct phases. Put simply, one is all the work that goes on before an aircraft enters service and the other is that work done for an aircraft in service.

Initial Airworthiness goes from the first concept of a new product, through design and manufacture all the way up to the day that a Type Certificate (TC) is handed over.

Continuing Airworthiness is a programme to support an aircraft in service. A maintenance programme to control the rate of deterioration of an aircraft - preventative and remedial. A continued airworthiness programme takes lessons learned from experience and applies them not just to one aircraft but to a whole fleet of the same design.

Airworthiness is indivisible from the bigger picture. It is the foundation upon which international aviation safety is built.

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Strategy Objectives

1. Inspire Turn our safety values into reality. Integrate campaigning and policy. Focus activities on what matters most: top ten issues.

2. Empower Empower our members: be guided by their expertise. Challenge members to advance. Lower barriers to participation.

3. Nurture Provided an enabling platform. Support technical/safety training. Build bridges with partners.

4. Communicate Website innovation – it’s our front window on the world. Relationships: we must invest in them. Data is our lifeblood. Be more dynamic.

This 3-year Plan emphasises four (4) Key Priorities to advance the realisation of the fifteen (15) Expected Outcomes attributable to the Organisation’s four (4) Strategic Objectives.

See Table 1.

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Table 1STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES

KEY PRIORITIES EXPECTED OUTCOMES

Inspire Continuous Aviation Safety Improvement

1.1 Enhanced capabilities to manage aviation safety risks. With the industry and regulatory bodies promote the development of Airworthiness worldwide.

1.2 Shared technical knowledge through forums worldwide, our newsletters, white papers, our website and magazine.

1.3 Work with regulatory bodies and industry stakeholders, to ensure that an unbiased technical contribution is made on the top ten Airworthiness issues.

1.4 Represent and involve members in the formulation of policies and practices.

Empower Assert a greater positive influence

2.1 Relaunch and invigorate our Technical Committee.

2.2 Facilitate involvement of our membership in regulatory and advisory bodies.

2.3 Recruit experienced members to our working groups and committees and encourage the involvement of younger members to increase their knowledge. 

2.4 Develop sponsorship support from both industry and regulatory bodies. Provide a donation function on our website.

Nurture Increase knowledge and expertise worldwide

3.1 Continue to develop our Scholarships and Award opportunities to encourage active participation in Airworthiness subjects.

3.2 Recruit and grow membership. Develop the Corporate, Associate, Student and Apprentice membership for the benefit of aviation.

3.3 Promote the involvement of young people at an early stage of their careers through our Student and Apprentices scheme and involvement with Universities, Societies and other training bodies.

Communicate

Make our Airworthiness voice is effective

4.1 Upgrade our website to be one of the best in its field. Offering an increased capability and opportunity for the membership to contribute.

4.2 Present a reliable unbiased technical public opinion on aspects of aviation safety related to Airworthiness.

4.3 Build strategic partnerships. Increase ability to make a valued contribution in a wide range of technical aeronautical fields.

4.4 Apply safety data to continually improve Airworthiness to improve the operation of aircraft in service and those about to enter service.

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3-year Financial PlanToday IFA is both operationally and administratively, efficiently run, financially sound and viable. An Annual Budget is agreed for each financial year.

The organisation has aimed for a balanced budget, but income and expenditure rise and fall dependent not only on regular activities but one-off payments, sponsorship and donations. Generally, increased membership numbers lead to increased income. IFA’s income and expenditure, in the financial year are published in its Annual Report. Information is made public by the UK Charity Commission1.

To accommodate growth and costs e.g. inflation: both income and expenditure need to double in the period of this plan. Figure 1 presents past data and this ambition.

Our Trust Fund can provide support for major non-recurring costs. Example: website upgrade. New sources of funding need to be sought.

Action is needed to develop sponsorship support from both industry and regulatory bodies. Also, to provide access to donations.

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Financial Projection

Income Spending

1 http://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/CharityWithoutPartB.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=296354&SubsidiaryNumber=0

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Organisation

About

IFA was formed in March 1975. Its aim was to improve safety through engineering standards and sharing “good practices”. Its first international conference was held in 1976.

IFA is a charity that works across the globe.  The organisation is dependent upon voluntary contributions. IFA does not own or lease any land or buildings.  

Structure

IFA is governed in accordance with the Constitution for the conduct of affairs of the International Federation of Airworthiness for Aerospace Engineering, Maintenance and Continuing Airworthiness (herein referred to as the Constitution) adopted 21st October 1991 (as amended April 2017).

Membership 

IFA has a Corporate, Associate, Student and Apprentice membership.

IFA has Honorary Members. A membership directory is updated annually.

Heritage

The first edition of The History of IFA by D. K. Smith was published in 2005. With the retirement of IFA Executive Director John Saull an update is planned.

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Appendices

TOP TEN

These airworthiness priority issues are derived from a subjective synthesis of several published analysis reports and observation of research and innovation sources.

Existing Airworthiness Issues

1) Commercial pressures: Actual and perceived increases in costs of safety, security, and environmental compliance;

2) Rapid change: Growth continues to outpace the development of human and infrastructure capacity;

3) Intelligence: Find ways to increase the depth of understanding of complex and dynamic safety risks;

4) Implementation: Need to fully exploit the benefits of current methods and technologies to improve safety (Example: Health Monitoring);

Emerging Airworthiness Issues

5) Cyber Security: Provisions on the protection of critical systems used to ensure safety of international civil aircraft;

6) Big Data: How to leverage large amounts of data to achieve and monitor aviation safety;

7) Safety Management: Continued adoption of proactive safety management systems;

8) Drones: fitness to fly of a board diversity of new vehicles in civil operations; 9) Electrification: new and innovative vehicles, systems and equipment being

introduced and 10)New Businesses Models: creative solutions to economic challenges mean new

ways of working.

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SWOT Analysis

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General AssumptionsCivil aviation will continue to grow in terms of numbers of passengers and numbers of aircraft.

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Continuous improvement in civil aviation safety is possible.

Advancing technology will put new aviation vehicles onto the civil market.

A mix of recurring and new aviation safety risks need to be addressed.

Regulatory harmonisation will continue even as political situations changes.

Regulatory means become more performance based.

Across the globe, strengthened regulatory capability is needed.

Aviation safety and security become ever more linked.

Strong demand for business efficiency drives industry.

Industry continues to seek to meet stringent environmental conditions.

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