| How safe is your private jet charter flight? Charter | | | | many business sectors, international standards are |
| operator and broker safety standards vary and it's | | | | recognized for their role in facilitating global |
| important to know the history and standards you are | | | | commerce. IS-BAO is similar in this respect as its |
| entrusting for your air charter flight. A variety of | | | | fundamental purpose is to foster standardized, safe |
| federal, industry, and independent organizations | | | | and highly professional aircraft operations. |
| regulate or rate air charter operators. What do your | | | | IBAC and Member Associations hold aviation safety |
| jet charter operator and broker consider when | | | | as their highest priority. Members continuously seek |
| arranging your flight? | | | | means to improve an already very safe community. |
| FAA Charter Certification | | | | Many programs are in place, all coordinated through |
| The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the | | | | the Business Aviation Safety Strategy, which is a |
| federal agency responsible for overseeing and | | | | dynamic plan assessed and updated on regular basis. |
| administering air travel regulations in the U.S. | | | | IBAC also publishes a comprehensive set of safety |
| The FAA conducts a lengthy investigation and | | | | statistics which are use to make determinations of |
| certification process before granting an aircraft and | | | | where improvement is advisable. |
| its operator the authority to carry the general public | | | | Wyvern |
| as paying passengers. It takes many months, | | | | Wyvern LTD is an independent company that makes |
| sometimes years, to become an FAA-certified Air | | | | a business of evaluating or approving private jet |
| Carrier. In addition the FAA has continual oversight | | | | charter operators based on their history, |
| during annual inspections, pilot semi-annual checks, and | | | | documentation and practices. |
| conformity inspections for any aircraft being added | | | | Wyvern-compliant flights have a safety record that is |
| to a charter certificate. Certificated charter operators | | | | unsurpassed: |
| are assigned a local FAA Flight Standards District | | | | Of all the 1,177 FAR Part-135 fatalities from January |
| Office (FSDO) which continually monitors the | | | | 1991 through April 2009, none- 0.0 percent involved a |
| operator. | | | | Wyvern-recommended aircraft or aircrew. Looking at |
| The FAA Part-135 (charter) rules and certification | | | | just Part 135 turbine accidents from April 2004 |
| section is 112 pages long in the Federal Aviation | | | | through April 2009, jets flying charter flights incurred |
| Regulations (FAR) and is the second largest category. | | | | seven fatal accidents and 32 fatalities, but not one of |
| It is only a few pages less than the Part-91 section | | | | those jet fatalities occurred on a Wyvern-compliant |
| which governs total air traffic and general operating | | | | flight. |
| rules applying to all flights, private aircraft rules, flight | | | | Source: Wyvern |
| rules and private pilot certifications. It is clear when | | | | As of June 2010, Wyvern provides safety |
| you examine the FAR that the FAA considers | | | | information on 2,189 charter operators and 15,079 |
| carrying paying passengers more seriously than | | | | aircraft. |
| owners flying their own aircraft or other parts of the | | | | Wyvern provides comprehensive operator |
| air traffic system or certifications. | | | | information, including operations history, background |
| FAA certification is the most comprehensive | | | | information, pilot details, FAA documents, Insurance |
| inspection, testing and compliance system an aircraft | | | | coverage, and FAA operations specifications. This |
| operator undergoes. And it should be. It is the | | | | also includes any accidents, incidents, FAA Letters of |
| approval to safely fly the paying public, and the first | | | | Correction and Warning Notices. Much of the |
| standard by which charter aircraft operate. Every | | | | information and documents are current, directly from |
| operator, pilot and aircraft mechanic must comply by | | | | FAA electronic files, and other information is acquired |
| its rules. | | | | by Wyvern directly or from an on-site audit. |
| History holds the FAA requirements and standards as | | | | ARG/US |
| valid. Professionally flown charter flights with 2 crew | | | | Aviation Research Group/US (ARG/US) offers |
| members have an accident and safety record similar | | | | consulting services and provides information collection, |
| to that of the scheduled airlines. | | | | research and distribution in the field of aviation. One |
| Source: National Business Aircraft Association | | | | sector of their products and services is in charter |
| IS-BAO | | | | operator reviews and ratings. Charter Operators can |
| As a comprehensive international safety program and | | | | subscribe to ARG/US's services and obtain a rating of |
| audited standard "for the industry, by the industry", | | | | Gold, Gold Plus or Platinum, at increasing subscription |
| IS-BAO is separate from third party companies who | | | | rates and levels of evaluation. Consumers of charter |
| make a business of compiling and selling operator | | | | services may then also subscribe to ARG/US services |
| statistics, information or ratings based on arbitrarily | | | | and access those ratings and limited operator |
| determined standards. | | | | information. |
| The International Standard for Business Aircraft | | | | Of the current 2,150 FAA-certified and |
| Operations (IS-BAO) is the newest and most | | | | DOT-registered charter operators in the United |
| comprehensive audited safety standard for business | | | | States, 335 operators have chosen to subscribe to |
| aircraft. Only a handful of charter operators have | | | | ARG/US for safety ratings. Of those operators, 235 |
| achieved IS-BAO registration. Registered operators | | | | are rated Gold, 30 Gold Plus, and 70 are rated |
| have demonstrated compliance through successful | | | | Platinum. |
| completion of a third party industry audit by an IBAC | | | | Platinum operators are audited to a higher standard. |
| Accredited Auditor. | | | | Some charter buyers do not put as much value in |
| IS-BAO was developed by the industry for the | | | | the ratings since the comparative analysis of charter |
| benefit of the industry. It is a code of best practices | | | | safety history to an ARG/US Platinum rating is not as |
| designed to help flight departments worldwide | | | | favorable. Many charter operators elected to |
| achieve a high level of safety and professionalism. | | | | discontinue their ARG/US rating in 2009 when ARG |
| IS-BAO was formally introduced and made available | | | | US began charging an ongoing fee for each level of |
| to the business aviation community by the | | | | evaluation and rating. |
| International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) in May, | | | | Overview |
| 2002. | | | | Safety of your jet charter operator and charter |
| Through the use of Safety Management Systems | | | | broker should be paramount. Consider their |
| (SMS), IS-BAO registered business aircraft operators | | | | qualifications, history and their industry involvement. |
| proactively identify and manage risks. Under a | | | | Do they have an accident or incident history? Have |
| formalized SMS, operators identify potential hazards | | | | they received warnings or corrective action from the |
| and ensure that a process is put in place to | | | | FAA? How long has the organization been in |
| effectively manage them. NBAA advocates that flight | | | | business? Does anyone associated with the company |
| departments of all sizes implement a SMS for aircraft | | | | have a felony or criminal history? Does your operator |
| operations. | | | | have suitable hull and liability insurance? Does your |
| The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) | | | | broker have professional liability insurance for your |
| introduced the IS-BAO program for many reasons. In | | | | protection? |