Risk-Based Spatial Safety Management System Approach: The Case of Trabzon Airport

Safety management systems are needed for the organized execution of complex and systematic activities in the aviation sector. Reducing the risks in the aviation industry to an acceptable level is possible with the success of the risk assessment process. Risk matrices are utilized in the assessment processes as stipulated in the international guidelines. This method, based on experts’ subjective evaluation, is frequently subject to criticism. This paper reviews the results of the actual risk assessment of airport assets through a case study. The study examined the usability of spatial analysis and statistical methods in the risk assessment process and questioned the significance levels of risk assessments. The risks identified by experts were significant at a 99% confidence level. The findings reveal that spatial and statistical analysis can support safety risk management activities. The proposed methodology aims to provide a geoinformatics perspective to airport risk management processes and increase the accuracy of risk assessment activities.