In order to act upon the instructions by leaders of the CPC Central Committee and State Council that a zero tolerance policy for safety hazards should be adopted in the civil aviation industry, comprehensively improve the effectiveness of the safety management system (SMS) and continuously refine the safety performance management mechanism, CAAC has recently published the Program for Advancing Safety Performance Management in the Civil Aviation Industry (hereinafter referred to as the Program) which is aimed at further regulating the safety performance management practices of civil aviation entities, so as to ensure sustained safety across the industry.

As an integral part of the safety management system, safety performance management enables an entity, on the basis of regulatory compliance, to learn the safety situation in a more comprehensive, accurate and dynamic way and implement targeted safety management measures, and thereby control or reduce safety risks to an acceptable level. Therefore, it is necessary for entities in the civil aviation industry to develop appropriate safety performance indicators and targets, clearly define their acceptable safety levels, and adopt targeted safety management measures in light of safety performance monitoring and evaluation results, to ensure sustained safety on the basis of compliance with applicable regulations. Previously, China’s civil aviation entities had been active in developing safety management systems. However, due to the imperfect design of the safety performance management system and procedures, the lack of performance monitoring and management mechanism, and the inadequacy of the indicators system, the safety management systems did not function to their full potential. Also, a comprehensive approach to assessing the effectiveness of safety management systems was yet to be established. To explore a safety performance management mode and approach suited to the characteristics of China’s civil aviation industry and improve the effectiveness of safety oversight, CAAC launched pilot projects in 12 representative operation entities selected from the areas under the jurisdiction of its regional administrations. After over a year’s work, CAAC has developed a preliminary set of theories, procedures and methods for safety performance management on the basis of regulatory management, risk management and information management, and has gained valuable experience in accelerating the transition of the industry’s safety management practices from regulatory compliance to the regulations-based safety performance management approach.

The Program, as the overall plan of CAAC for advancing safety performance management, was designed in accordance with the requirements laid out in the 13th Five-year Plan for Work Safety in China’s Civil Aviation Industry, CAAC’s Reform Tasks Program for Improving Safety Oversight Capacity, and the division of key safety tasks by CAAC. It defines the overall objectives of the effort to advance safety performance management, as well as working principles, job duties and approaches. Organizations involved include civil aviation regulatory authorities at various levels, civil aviation entities, and related research institutions. Also, CAAC will issue the Guidance Manual on the Implementation of Safety Performance Management in Civil Aviation Entities, to provide guidance for civil aviation entities in carrying out safety performance management in an orderly and efficient way in accordance with the Program.

According to the Program, the effort to advance safety performance management is divided into three stages. 2017 represents the primary stage. The task is to establish a safety performance management mechanism applicable to civil aviation entities, and carry out safety performance-based supervision on a trial basis. 2018 is the second stage. The task is to establish an applicable safety performance-based supervision mechanism. 2019-2020 is the last stage. The task is to keep improving the safety performance management mechanism and safety performance-based supervision mechanism. From the first stage to the third stage, the effectiveness of safety performance management in civil aviation entities and the effectiveness of safety performance-based supervision by CAAC will be improved gradually, while the amount of safety supervision of CAAC will decrease.