Spanish aviation celebrates 20 years of safety culture through the report

• AESA's Event Notification System (SNS) celebrates its 20 º anniversary by consolidating itself as a key tool for risk identification and continuous improvement of aviation safety.
• José Antonio Santano, Secretary of State for Transport and Sustainable Mobility, has highlighted aviation safety as a basis for connectivity, economic activity and territorial cohesion in our country.
• Montserrat Mestres, director of AESA, highlighted during her opening speech the consolidation in Spain of a solid, transparent and collaborative safety culture among all the agents of the aeronautical sector.
• Until 2025, AESA has registered through the SNS more than 414,800 events and 508,806 notifications associated with them, a milestone that allows the aviation system to be consolidated as a reference in safety and prevention.

Madrid, 11 June 2026 (AESA)

The State Aviation Safety Agency (AESA) today commemorated the 20th º anniversary of the Event Notification System (SNS), a key tool for the management of safety in Spanish civil aviation. The event was held at the Palace of Zurbano, bringing together the main institutional authorities and representatives of the aeronautical sector.

The event was attended by the Secretary of State for Transport and Sustainable Mobility, José Antonio Santano, who highlighted the importance of operational security for Spain. In his speech he stressed the role of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility in the definition of public policies and in the promotion of the State Operational Safety Program (PESO): “Safety is a strategic priority that underpins the aviation system and has a direct impact on our country’s connectivity, economic activity and territorial cohesion”.

^{Jose Antonio Santano, Secretary of State for Transport and Sustainable Mobility.}

For her part, the director of AESA, Montserrat Mestres, highlighted at the opening of the event the role of the Agency in the management of the SNS and its ability to transform the information reported into knowledge and measures at the service of prevention: "In 2025, a milestone was reached by reaching almost 415.00 registered events and the more than 508,800 notifications associated with them, figures that show the consolidation of a solid and participatory safety culture in the sector".

^{Montserrat Mestres, Director of AESA.}

The celebration included a round table under the title “Reporting of occurrences as a pillar of a safe aviation system: leadership and commitment to fair culture”, with representatives from ENAIRE, APROCTA, Vueling and COPAC. It discussed the joint work carried out during these 20 years and highlighted the evolution of the SNS as a strategic instrument for the continuous improvement of aviation safety.

A robust, collaborative and transparent system

The involvement of professionals and organizations in the aeronautical sector is the basis for the success of this system. Pilots, air traffic controllers, maintenance technicians or airport personnel, among others, contribute with their notifications to build an information network for the early identification of risks.

In addition, the SNS is based on the principles of Fair Culture, which guarantee the protection of information and encourage notification without retaliation, thus consolidating a transparent, reliable and democratic system.

The State Operational Safety Program (PESO) is the State's instrument to ensure that civil aviation in Spain maintains and reinforces the highest safety standards. In this sense, the SNS constitutes one of its fundamental pillars by providing a global vision of the aeronautical system and facilitating the adoption of preventive measures based on data analysis.

After two decades of evolution, the Event Reporting System has established itself as a national and international reference, demonstrating that institutional cooperation, industry commitment and the use of data are key elements to move towards an increasingly robust, transparent and effective security model.

^{Management team of AESA together with participants in the event.}

About AESA

AESA is the State body, attached to the Secretary of State for Transport of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, which ensures that civil aviation standards are complied with in all aeronautical activity in Spain.

The Agency has the missions of Supervision, Inspection and Management of Air Transport, Air Navigation and Airport Security. It assesses risks to transport safety and has the power to impose penalties for breaches of civil aviation rules.