The Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA; ) is responsible for investigating civil aviation accidents in Hong Kong, as well as those in other territories involving a Hong Kong-registered aircraft. It was established in 2018 under the Transport and Housing Bureau, currently the

Transport and Logistics Bureau Transport and Logistics Bureau () is one of the fifteen policy bureaux for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. It is responsible for the transport and logistics policy portfolios. The agency was established on 1 July 2022, when ...

of the

Government of Hong Kong The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, commonly known as the Hong Kong Government or HKSAR Government, refers to the executive authorities of Hong Kong SAR. It was formed on 1 July 1997 in accordance with the Sino- ...

. Its head office is on the property of

Hong Kong International Airport Hong Kong International Airport is Hong Kong's main airport, built on reclaimed land on the island of Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong. The airport is also referred to as Chek Lap Kok International Airport or ''Chek Lap Kok Airport'', to distingui ...

Background

Investigating aviation accidents was previously the responsibility of the

Civil Aviation Department A civil aviation authority (CAA) is a national or supranational statutory authority that oversees the regulation of civil aviation, including the maintenance of an aircraft register. Role Due to the inherent dangers in the use of flight vehicles, ...

(CAD), Hong Kong's civil aviation authority. In 2016, the

International Civil Aviation Organization The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international a ...

(ICAO) implemented new standards requiring that member states maintain air accident investigation authorities that are independent of civil aviation authorities and related entities. This aims to ensure that accident investigations are conducted objectively, as the regulatory environment and air traffic control system may fall within the remit of an investigation. The new ICAO standards took effect in November 2016, and were recommended for implementation within two years. To meet the new requirements, the Hong Kong Government set up the AAIA under the Transport and Housing Bureau. Its director, holding the title of chief inspector of accidents, took office on 10 September 2018, thereby marking the formal establishment of the AAIA. The legislative framework for the new agency came into effect on 3 December 2018, formally transferring relevant functions and powers of the director-general of civil aviation (the head of the CAD) to the chief inspector of accidents.

Chief investigators

The AAIA is led by a Chief Accident and Safety Investigator (formerly Chief Inspector of Accidents):

References

External links

* {{authority control 2018 establishments in Hong Kong Aviation organisations based in Hong Kong Government agencies established in 2018 Hong Kong government departments and agencies

Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...