Volga-Dnepr, university develop accident system

Volga-Dnepr, university develop accident system    Volga-Dnepr Airlines has joined Russia's Ulyanovsk State University on a project to develop an electronic system to support the prevention of air accidents.
   Following a tender conducted at the end of 2010 to identify participants for the project, researchers have been engaged in the work as part of an expert advisory council reporting to Alexey Isaikin, president of Volga-Dnepr Group.
   Since March, the council has been chaired by Nikolay Makhutov, a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and a prominent specialist in risk and safety management.
   The project will be implemented under the Russian government Decree No. 218 of April 9, 2010 — 'Measures of Government Support to Facilitate Co-operation of Russian Higher Education Institutions and Organizations Implementing Integrated Hi-tech Projects.' It will be jointly funded by the Russian Ministry of Science and Education and Volga-Dnepr Group.
   The project’s main goal is to improve operational safety in the aviation industry using the latest computer modeling and assessment tools that support the introduction of an enhanced preventive risk management concept for flight operations.
   'Safety depends on a great number of factors and the new system will account for these, from consideration of available facilities at an airport to the political situation in a country,' Volga-Dnepr said in a statement. 'This will result in substantial time and cost savings for Volga-Dnepr in its decision-making and ensure the optimal allocation of resources assigned to air safety.'
   The cooperation between Volga-Dnepr and Ulyanovsk State University will also facilitate development of specialist courses, create opportunities for field experience and training, increase competitiveness of the university’s scientific and technical research products and generally improve the quality of student education, thus increasing the flow of qualified specialists to the business sector.
   The commercial version of the system will be released in December 2012 with further trial testing to be arranged with Volga-Dnepr Airlines. The electronic safety system is expected to interest both Russian and foreign air carriers.