Lufthansa Celebration & ARSA Strategic Leadership Conference Wrap-Up

On October 18-19, 2012, aviation maintenance leaders from around the world joined ARSA and Lufthansa in Hamburg, Germany, to celebrate 50 years of Lufthansa holding an FAA certificate and to discuss pertinent aviation industry issues, including efforts to enhance international cooperation, improve regulatory efficiency, and ARSA’s on-going strategic public relations campaign. Key highlights included:

-An address by the U.S. Ambassador to Germany Philip D. Murphy, Lufthansa Technik CEO August Wilhelm Henningsen, and Acting FAA Administrator Michael Huerta, via video message.
-A luncheon speech delivered by Bruce Dickinson, who in addition to his role as lead vocalist of the chart-topping metal band Iron Maiden, is a commercial pilot and aviation entrepreneur. Dickinson recently launched an MRO operation in Wales, Cardiff Aviation, which will offer heavy maintenance and other services from a decommissioned RAF base. Dickinson joined industry colleagues in pushing the envelope to achieve better safety and reliability, “When you put complacency next to compliance, you have a recipe for disaster,” he said.
-A discussion on the likely political landscape in 2013 and plans for a legislative push to lift the ban on new foreign repair station certificates in light of the growing risk that civil aviation authorities will retaliate against U.S. companies.
-Recognition of Lufthansa Technik Vice President of Quality Hanno Loss, for his two-year term as ARSA’s president, during which he enhanced the Association’s international visibility and drove efforts to grow ARSA’s public relations capabilities.

Pictures from the event are available on ARSA’s Flickr page, attendee handout materials are available for download here, and speaker presentations are below. On behalf of Lufthansa Technik, ARSA thanks everyone who was able to attend.

Frédéric Copigneaux: Safety Management Systems

Steve Creamer: Achievements of U.S.-EU Cooperation Under the Aviation Safety Agreement

Christian Klein: ARSA Action presentation

August-Wilhelm Henningsen: Lufthansa Technik, 50 Years

Dr. Norbert Lohl: Update on the EU Bilateral Agreements

Dr. Hans-Jürgen Loss: Safety Management System at Lufthansa Technik AG

Werner Lühmann: BASA’s – An Industry’s Perspective