The Icelandic Airline Pilots' Association organizes the annual Reykjavik Flight Safety Symposium. The sixth conference was held on Oktober 13th 2022 in Gullhamrar.
The event attracts, among others, air traffic controllers, pilots and people at administration level.
If you have any recommendations, suggestions, questions or comments, feel free to send us a line at fia@fia.is. The event is held in English, and admission fee is quite modest.
Here you can read more about this years speakers.
Podcast: Flugvarpið- #47 Svefnheilsa og Just culture - Reykjavík Flight Safety Symposium.
Recordings of the RFSS from previous years can be found here below:
2022
In 2022, the RFSS was held on October 13th at the Gullhamrar.
The speakers that participated in 2022 were the following. By clicking their names you will be forwarded to a recording of their speeches:
Högni Björn Ómarsson: FÍA boardmember and Icelandair Captain
Opening remarks
Birta Líf Kristinsdóttir: Meteorologist
Weather in BIKF and ice crystal icing
Melisa Bravin: Propulsion operability engineer at Boeing
Ice crystal icing
Matthías Sveinbjörnsson: President of the Icelandic Aeronautical Association
Energy exchange in aviation
Erla Björnsdóttir: Clinical psychologist, Phd in sleep medicine
Sleep and fatigue
Ingvar Tryggvason: Icelandair Captain
Just culture
Jóhann Wium Magnússon: Aviation Psychologist
Peer support
Gunnar Björn Bjarnason: FÍA boardmemeber and Air Iceland Captain
Lokaorð
Here you can read more about this years speakers
Podcast: Flugvarpið- #47 Svefnheilsa og Just culture - Reykjavík Flight Safety Symposium.
2021
In 2021, the RFSS was held on September 24th at the Hilton Reykjavík Nordica.
The speakers that participated in 2021 were the following. By clicking their names you will be forwarded to a recording of their speeches:
Guðmundur Kristjánsson is a project manager at Isavia ANS
Patrick Hudson is emeritus professor at Delft University of Technology in The Human Factor in Safety at the Department of Safety Science
John Franklin is Head of Safety Promotion at EASA
Helena Cunningham is Chairman of the IFALPA Safety Management Working Group (SMWG.)
Ragnar Guðmundsson is an aeronautical engineer and investigator at the Icelandic Transportation Safety Board.
Guðmundur Már Þorvarðarson closing remarks
Högni B. Ómarsson, FÍA's Secretary, moderated the event.
2020
In 2020, the RFSS was held on March 13th, right at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in Iceland. The event, held at the Hilton Reykjavík Nordica, was therefore "moved" online.
The speakers that participated in 2020 were the following. By clicking their names you will be forwarded to a recording of their speeches:
- Dr. Sara Barsotti of the Icelandic Met Office - Responding to explosive eruptions in Iceland: changes and improvements over the last 10 years
- Dr. Rory Clarkson from Rolls Royce - Volcanic ash and aviation - 10 years from Eyjafjallajökull
- Harry Nelson, a former test pilot for Airbus - Are we ready for the challenges of tomorrow?
- Hlín Hólm, chair of NAT-SPG - NAT-SPG
- Captain Antti Tuori, MD, from IFALPA’s HUPER committee - Pilot's health - risks and solutions
- Ingvar Tryggvason - Chair of the FÍA Safety Committee
2019
In 2019, the RFSS was held on April 11th, at the Hilton Reykjavík Nordica. The speakers that participated this year were the following. By clicking their names you will be forwarded to a recording of their speeches:
- Ragnar Guðmundsson - RNSA - The Road from an Incident to an AD
- Marika Melin - Karolinska Institutet - High-Flying Risks
- Steinarr Bragason - AEEC - Datalink Objectives and Obstacles, the safety perspective
- Graham Braithwaite - Cranfield - Maintaining an Authentic Safety Culture
- José-María Lorenzo -The European Satellite Services Provider (ESSP) - EGNOS Service Provision
- Kristín Sigurðardóttir hér og hér- Þróunarmiðstöð rannsóknaverkefna. She gave two speaches: Stress, Friend or Foe? & Resilience - What can we do?
Here you can watch the entire symposium including some words from Jens Þórðarson (Icelandair), Jeroene Kruse (ECA) and final words from FÍA President, Örnólfur Jónsson.
Högni B. Ómarsson, FÍA's Secretary, moderated the event.

2018
“Overview and introduction to satellite based air navigation in Iceland”
Arnór Bergur Kristinsson, Project Manager at Isavia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0paVCdS36s&feature=youtu.be
“Cyber threats”
Chris Johnson PhD, Head of Computing at the University of Glasgow
Recording not available.
“The history of contaminated air on aircraft and the solutions available”
Dr. Susan Michaelis PhD, MSc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lp8CWx1M42I&feature=youtu.be
“Why EBT?”
Arnar J Agnarsson, Training Captain at Icelandair
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te7daik5GrU&feature=youtu.be
“Is resilience a valuable skill in aviation?”
Gitte Damm, Founder of “About Human Factors”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqQvCSlA33w&feature=youtu.be
“Future of MET ANSP”
Theodór Freyr Hervarsson, Director of Business Development, Icelandic Met Office
Björn Sævar Einarsson, Coordinator for MET services, Icelandic Met Office
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ykaUI_RG0I&feature=youtu.be
2017
“Just Culture”
Oliver Ingenrieth, Safety officer, Air Berlin
“Occurance reporting”
Sólveig Ragnarsdottir, Flight Safety Analyst, ICETRA
“Volcano watch”
Sara Barsotti, Volcanic Hazards Coordinator, Icelandic Met Office
“Developing Flight Deck Challenges”
Chris Glaeser, Former Global Dir. of Safety IATA
“NAV/COM development in BIRD”
Sigurjón Jónasson, ICEATCA, ISAVIA
“New tools for investigators - New challenges”
Þorkell Ágústsson, ITSB