After nearly two years of hard work and coordination between Gallagher, Sirius Aviation and the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, the “Hub Aeronáutico” or Latin American Aviation Safety Centre (LASC) was launched with an event held at the university in Bogotá, Colombia on April 17, 2023. The session was presided by the deans of the Faculties of Continued Education and Legal Studies, by Sandra Lonsbury, Senior Advisor, Gallagher Aerospace and Eduardo Dueri, Managing Director for Gallagher Aerospace Latin America. It was attended by representatives of the Directorate General of Aviation, local airlines, lawyers of the Colombian Air Law Association and other related organisations.
The inaugural speech was delivered by Mr Felipe Gutierrez, CEO of Easyfly — the largest regional carrier in Colombia — and centred on current conditions of the airline market in the country. This issue is of interest to the attendees, because a couple of low-cost carriers licensed by the Colombian government ceased operations at the beginning of 2023. Mr Gutierrez spoke about the competitive conditions in the internal market, the efforts the airlines made to remain competitive and the need for appropriate government policies to support the sector in issues such as the rate of exchange, taxation and fuel prices.
Then it was Gallagher's representatives’ turn to present the Hub Aeronáutico and the Aviation Safety Diploma Certificate. We explained that the LASC was created to become the premier education facility in aviation safety and operations in Latin America, with an excellent roster of professors and training courses, in Spanish and at very reasonable cost compared to offerings in other parts of the world.
The partnership between Gallagher, with its broad client base and risk management capabilities, Sirius Aviation and their expert consultants, and Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, a premier academic institution in the region at par with its sister universities in the US — such as Loyola and Georgetown — and elsewhere will make this goal a reality.
The Aviation Safety Certificate programme will offer the industry basic and advance training in safe and efficient operation. Students can select the courses they wish to attend based on their particular experience or interest. To receive the certificate a person will have to complete the all required and several supplemental courses listed below within three years.
| Required Courses | Supplemental Courses | ||
| Aviation SMS | 31 May | Advanced Incident Investigation | 22 January 2024 |
| Operational Risk Management | 31 July | Aviation Quality Auditor | 11 December |
| Human Factors in Safety | 12 September | Emergency Response Preparedness | 14 November |
| Incident/ Accident Investigation | 25 July | Threat & Error Management | 11 October |
| Aviation Technical Regulations | 19 September | Safety Planning & Governance | 19 October |
| Aviation and the Environment | 05 December | ||
| Safety Performance Indicators | 09 October | ||
| SMS Resilience | 17 October | ||
Since the programme is based on international aviation regulations, particularly International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) annexes, the course is well suited to any operator, no matter which local regulations apply to their particular activity. It’s open to airlines, fixed-based operators (FBOs), aeronautical authorities, air navigation services providers, ground handlers, fuelling companies, maintenance and repair organisations (MROs) and the industry at large.
Our plans for the LASC don’t end here: Our wish is for LASC to become a worldwide expert in safety and operational studies. We see it not only as a training centre but also as a think tank for aeronautical issues at the forefront of safety efforts around the world.
To learn more about Aviation Safety Certificate programme and to register, visit
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana.