18.06.25

ENAC AND MILAN BERGAMO AIRPORT HOST THE ICAO WORKING GROUP ON ASSISTANCE TO AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT VICTIMS

From 16 to 18 June, at Milan Bergamo Airport, Italy had the honour of hosting a meeting of the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) Working Group dedicated to Assistance to Aircraft Accident Victims and their Families (AAAVF).

The event was made possible through the deep collaboration between ENAC (the Italian Civil Aviation Authority), the “8 ottobre 2001” committee and SACBO, the company operating Bergamo airport.

The meeting saw the participation of a large group of experts and professionals from all over the world, as well as representatives from all sector organisations: regulatory bodies, the aviation industry and victim family associations. It was an opportunity for wide-ranging and in-depth exchange that carried forward the revision process for the international regulatory framework on assistance, as well as to identify the best practices to be adopted to assist States and sector operators to implement solid and effective programmes related to aircraft accidents.

The meeting began with one minute’s silence in honour of the victims of the Air India AI 171 accident, followed by greetings from Roberta Carli, the Territorial Director of ENAC, engineer Amelia Corti, Managing Director of SACBO, and Adele Scarani Pesapane, President of the “8 ottobre 2001” committee.

The event was moderated by Fabiola Cardea, the Safety Director of ENAC and rapporteur of the Working Group, and by Lorenzo Mantegazza, a member of the group, councillor from the “8 ottobre 2001” committee and Security Manager for SACBO.

The three-day meeting saw participants exchanging experience, operational approaches and guidelines, with the aim of improving practical assistance to victims and their families in crisis situations. The results of the sessions will be presented and discussed during the upcoming General Assembly of ICAO, which is due to take place in September 2025.

The event ended with a visit to the memorial dedicated to the Linate aircraft accident, the Bosco dei Faggi, situated in Forlanini Park in Milan, in the presence of the families of the 8th of October 2001 victims. It was a moment of intense humanity and emotion, demonstrating the significant and ongoing commitment of Italy to this theme, contributing with devotion, experience and awareness to the bolstering of international policies for assistance to aircraft accident victims and their families.