Lopez-led INAEC Aviation Corporation participated in the Third Annual Asia Pacific Summit for Aviation Safety held recently in Singapore.
Anchored on the theme “Future-Proofing Aviation Safety: Adapt, Innovate, Excel,” the summit gathered more than 500 participants representing regulatory authorities, original equipment manufacturers, aviation experts, and industry leaders across the region.
The agenda centered on pressing and emerging safety challenges — policy frameworks and multilateral cooperation among regulatory bodies; the development of a skilled workforce; the integration of technological advances into aviation operations; enhanced data-sharing; and evolving safety management systems capable of addressing both current and future risks.
INAEC President Benjamin “Jay” Lopez joined as a panelist in the session on the topic of safety management systems (SMS). In his presentation, “SMS: The Journey Ahead,” Lopez emphasized the human dimension of safety, highlighting that sustained improvement depends on trust and respect across all levels of an organization.
“We know that trust is essential to safety, and we build trust through leadership that listens, responds, and shows up. Safety needs to be part of the organizational culture. So we have to stay vigilant, guard against complacency, take pride in doing things right, and remember that what we do each day protects lives – our own, our colleagues’, their families, and all those we come into contact with,” Lopez stressed.
INAEC has demonstrated its commitment to global best practices by being the only Philippine operator to achieve Stage 3 certification under the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) and Stage 2 certification under the International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH). IS-BAO and IS-BAH are international benchmarks covering safety practices for business aviation operations and ground handling.
Kurt Edwards, director general of the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC), affirmed INAEC’s credibility and leadership.
“The SMS concept has moved into new operational domains. Being both IS-BAO and IS-BAH-accredited, INAEC can credibly speak on these themes, and I was pleased that INAEC could share its SMS experience at this important aviation conference. It highlights not only the IBAC programs but also shows INAEC’s commitment to safety excellence and its leadership in this space,” Edwards said.
Representatives from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) were also present at the event. Lt. Gen. Raul Del Rosario (ret.), CAAP director general, emphasized the importance of the gathering.
“International forums like this enable the CAAP to benchmark our safety regulations against regional and global standards. They allow us to learn from fellow regulators and validate our current practices,” Del Rosario said. “In support of ICAO’s [International Civil Aviation Organization] goal of ‘zero fatalities in commercial operations by 2030 and beyond,’ we must stay informed of safety trends and challenges and continue developing ways to contribute to this vision.”
