Key Takeaways from the Fourth Safer Skies Forum

In April 2025, our Class Underwriter David Langran was a delegate at the Safer Skies Forum in Marrakech, Morocco, where he spoke as part of a panel discussion on The Multi-Dimensional Impacts of Conflict on Aviation.

It was the fourth Forum of its kind and David - joined by Joe Fiorante from CFM Lawyers and  Murray Strom, Senior Vice President, Flight Operations and Maintenance, Air Canada - discussed the economic consequences from an insurer’s perspective of operating in over or near conflict zones and how better risk management can lead to better economic outcomes for airlines. 

David was able to bring a slightly different angle to the regulators and airlines, but it's clear there is a considerable overlap in ensuring safe and secure air travel. His overriding message to delegates was the need to continue to engage with HIVE’s partners to ensure the company stays on the same page in raising standards. 

From his panel discussion, and the remainder of the Forum, here are David’s key takeaways from the event:

• Nations are always going to be reluctant to share classified information - but it’s how we work collaboratively in the face of these sorts of obstacles to ensure accurate and timely information around threats are disseminated as widely and quickly and possible.

• We must identify base lines for risk so that consistent comparisons can be made easily and efficiently. Whilst different airlines and nations will have different perceptions and risk appetites, we need to identify how we can have a common standard so that areas of higher risk can consistently be identified and managed appropriately

• We must learn how to raise the bar and best assist those airlines with less resources available to them. Whilst there is room for improvement for everyone, it is clear there is considerable divergence between those who manage risk well and those who need more help. How can we best support those towards the lower ends of the spectrum, is the key question.

HIVE would like to thank the Safer Skies team for having us and David as part of the panel discussion, and for the interesting conversations with delegates and speakers alike. 

Find out more about the Safer Skies Forum here: https://tc.canada.ca/en/initiatives/safer-skies-initiative