Rob Horsburgh, Global Safety & Security Manager
When we talk about safety, it’s easy to think in terms of major incidents. But the reality is that most serious events are preceded by smaller, often overlooked moments. Near misses. Minor non-compliance. Simple lapses in attention.
These are often the early indicators of something more significant.
Across industries, this pattern is well understood. Strong safety performance isn’t built on reacting to incidents, but on recognising and addressing these smaller signals early. It’s about creating an environment where people feel confident to speak up, where learning is shared, and where safety is part of everyday thinking. Not just something revisited after something goes wrong.
That mindset is especially important in a sector like Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), where we are not only operating infrastructure, but helping to shape how an entirely new layer of aviation integrates into our cities and communities.
Skyports Infrastructure awarded “Distinction” by the British Safety Council
With that in mind, I am really proud to share that Skyports Infrastructure has been awarded the International Safety Award with Distinction from the British Safety Council, achieving a score of 49 out of 50.
The awards recognise organisations that demonstrate a strong and embedded approach to managing health, safety, and wellbeing. Achieving a distinction places us amongst those operating at the highest standard globally. It’s also particularly meaningful as it comes in our first year of formal Safety Management System (SMS) implementation.
For us, this isn’t just about the score. It’s recognition of the effort across the business to build something robust, practical, and genuinely embedded into how we operate.
Building safety into everything we do
Over the past year, a lot of the focus has been on putting the right foundations in place.
Implementing our SMS has been a key step, giving us a structured way to identify and manage risk. Alongside that, introducing Safety Performance Indicators (SPI) has helped create clear expectations around reporting and engagement.
We’ve also worked hard to strengthen how we learn from events. Through our Safety Event Review Group (SERG), we’ve been able to take a more thoughtful look at what’s happening across operations, looking beyond the immediate issue to understand the wider context and identify meaningful improvements.
That has led to tangible improvements, including the review, standardisation, and development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). This ensures that critical activities are clearly defined, consistently applied, and aligned with operational risk profiles. Where gaps were identified, new SOPs have been introduced to provide structured guidance and reduce variability in execution.
In parallel, we have strengthened the application of our Management of Change (MoC) process. This ensures that any proposed changes (whether relating to equipment, infrastructure, procedures, or operational practices) are subject to formal risk assessment prior to implementation. This includes the identification of potential safety, operational, and human factor impacts, the definition of appropriate control measures, and the verification that risks are reduced to an acceptable level before approval.
This more structured approach ensures that change is introduced in a controlled, traceable, and risk-informed manner, reducing the likelihood of unintended consequences and supporting safer, more resilient operations.
Alongside these systems and processes, we’ve also seen the development of a strong and positive safety culture across our colleagues. There is increasing confidence in reporting, greater engagement with safety discussions, and a shared understanding that safety is a collective responsibility – not just a procedural requirement. This cultural shift is one of the most important foundations for long-term success.
Safety across our global footprint
One of the unique aspects of Skyports Infrastructure is the range of environments we operate in.
At sites like Skyports London Heliport and Downtown Skyport, safety is embedded into routine operations through inspections, reporting, and continuous oversight. These environments give us real insight into operational behaviours and where improvements can be made.
At the same time, our construction activities in the United Arab Emirates bring a different set of challenges, requiring careful coordination, strong contractor management, and alignment with local regulatory expectations.
What connects all of these is a shared approach. Regardless of location or activity, the expectation around safety remains the same: clear, consistent, and supported by the right systems and culture.
Planning for the future
Looking ahead, safety becomes even more important.
As we expand our infrastructure and support the growth of AAM, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to get this right from the outset. That means thinking about safety not just in operations, but in design, planning, and future scalability.
We’re already taking steps to embed safety early into new projects, particularly in regions like the Middle East. This includes considering how infrastructure will be used, how people will interact with it, and how risks can be managed before they even materialise.
AAM brings together aviation, technology, and urban environments in a way that hasn’t been done before. Ensuring that safety keeps pace with that innovation is critical not just for compliance, but for building trust in what we’re creating.
Safety: a journey, not a destination
At Skyports Infrastructure, safety isn’t a standalone function, it’s a core part of how we operate.
Achieving a distinction in the International Safety Awards is something we’re incredibly proud of, but it’s also just one step in a much longer journey. The real focus is on continuing to improve, learning from what we do, and making sure safety evolves alongside our operations.
Because ultimately, if we’re going to help shape the future of aviation, safety has to be built into it from the very beginning.
