Toward Data-Driven Safety: An Ontology-Based Information System

In the age of data, enterprise-related data can be efficiently used for supporting safety management decisions. In this paper, the state of the art in the domain of aviation safety is reviewed and problems that current aviation safety information systems suffer from are identified. Based on the outcomes, ontologies are defended as a technology for safety data management and the design and implementation of an ontology-based information system for aviation safety data integration is presented. The system was developed in cooperation with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Czech Republic, and it is described in terms of design, core technologies, and achieved functionalities. Subsequently, it is compared to other available solutions in the domain. The results indicate that, by linking the features to ontologies, many desired characteristics of the safety information system are achieved due to proper utilization of top-level ontologies and that the solution offers a systematic and sustainable way for improving aviation safety.