The Australian Transport Safety Bureau's Chief Commissioner, Greg Hood, has been reappointed as the chair of the International Transportation Safety Association (ITSA) for a second 12-month term.
The unprecedented reappointment was confirmed during a virtual meeting of ITSA members on Monday evening (Australian time) on what would have been the opening day of the ITSA 2020 forum, to have been hosted by the ATSB in Sydney on May 4-5. This year's forum was deferred earlier in the year due to the international travel restrictions and social distancing requirements made necessary in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"ITSA is an international network of heads of agencies of independent transport safety investigation authorities from 17 nations, covering aviation, marine, rail and road transport, as well as pipelines and underground infrastructure," Mr Hood explained.
This is a great responsibility at a time when the world is navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, and when safe and efficient transport networks are needed like never before.
"I feel privileged to have been re-elected chair of ITSA for a second term. This is a great responsibility at a time when the world is navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, and when safe and efficient transport networks are needed like never before."
Mr Hood said the ITSA 2020 forum in Sydney would have been a valuable platform for sharing safety information and pursuing best practices in independent "no blame" transport safety investigations.
"During our virtual meeting members agreed to the desirability of rescheduling the deferred ITSA 2020 forum to a yet-to-be determined date in Sydney next year so that information sharing can be continued, should that be safe and plausible to do so," Mr Hood said.
"The mission of ITSA is to improve transport safety in each member country by learning from the experiences of others," said Mr Hood.
"It is our hope that that mission can be furthered with our next forum in Sydney some time in 2021."
