An airline’s Safety Management System comprises several main components
which include Reporting, Auditing, Risk Assessments, and Flight Data
Monitoring. AQD handles the first two items very well and development work is
taking place at Superstructure to introduce an effective Risk Assessment and
Management add on. For FDM most airlines have systems that deal with all the
requirements and in Monarch’s case we opted for the excellent Aerobytes
software. In fact Monarch was one of the early customers for Aerobytes and has
been actively involved in developing the software.
One suggested improvement was for the two systems, AQD and Aerobytes, to talk to
each other and therefore make the whole process of dealing with an ASR much
easier. Previously if an ASR was submitted for a flight that warranted FDM
investigation I would have to open up Aerobytes and find the flight in the
system. Having suggested linking the two systems at an AQD User Group meeting
the two companies started working together with the end result that I now have
a ‘linked’ system!
Here's how it works [Click
here for the print
version]
After setting up the new AQD FDM module, (this involves telling AQD what system
you are using and where it is on your network), you also have to set up
Aerobytes and tell it what reporting system is in use. This process is fairly
straightforward. Part of the set up involves setting up the security aspects
within AQD to limit access to the FDM system.
[Click on the images below to enlarge.]
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If you now open up an occurrence a new section is included where you can make a
request for FDM data.
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If the flight is available on your FDM system, and you have permission to view
FDM data, then clicking on the VIEW button takes you straight to the FDM system
and that flight! Pure magic!
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Some changes occur in what is shown on the Manage Occurrence screen in that
there is now a new column called FDE state and for every ASR linked to FDM an
additional FDM report is created with the same occurrence number.
One of the things I was also interested in doing was to manage FDM events that
warranted investigation within AQD so that everything was managed under one
system. As well as being able to go from AQD to Aerobytes it is possible to go
the other way and generate a new occurrence from Aerobytes. In my case I set up
a specific FDM report form and limited access to that form using occurrence
type security.
Within Aerobytes if you have a flight that you would like to manage within AQD
then you simply generate a new ‘incident’ and this can then link to AQD. There
are some issues with security since most airlines have strict protocols in
terms of de-identifying flights in the FDM system so it is important that all
the security aspects are set up correctly otherwise when the flight goes across
to AQD all the sensitive information, date, time , and registration, suddenly
gets filled in!
Overall I have found the new link a great benefit and a logical progression in
developing the Monarch SMS. I can’t wait to get the final Risk Assessment part
so that all of my SMS is managed under the one system, AQD!
Captain Tony Wride
Head of Safety Management
Monarch Airlines
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