International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations(IS-BAO) is the worldwide standard of aviation business best practices and industry standards established by the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC). Achieving an IS-BAO registration denotes safe operation and professionalism. The IS-BAO has undergone continuous evolution, and therefore they have to meet the needs of the aviation industry by providing new progressive programs to different levels of operators. Operators preparing for stage one registration are offered professional implementation assistance, one day audit, and an online IS-BAO course to validate their proficiency at a fee. This is mainly for new entrants with a busy small operator, usually one aircraft and one base. Different levels of operators need an extra time plan for the online course that takes around 5 hours.
The online course ensures that operators learn more about IS-BAO on their schedule. Online workshops are organized to understand the key benefits of having a safety Management system and its importance in IS-BAO certification. The workshops also provide the flight departments with the confidence to implement IS-BAO and train them on preparing for an edit that will make them pass the requirements for IS-BAO certification. The online courses were introduced after the breakout of COVID-19 and available for domestic and international flight operators. The contents of the course include.
- Overview of IS-BAO program structure and its relation to ICAO standards.
- Examination of SMS and IS-BAO standards and practices.
- Implementation and audit considerations
Operators are provided with IS-BAO materials which they are required to purchase to get started with the initiative. The materials are composed of an Audit Programme Manual and audit protocols. Other supporting electronic documents or tools needed are.
- Online implementation guideline.
- SMS toolkit.
- IS-BAO company operation manual.
There are three registration levels, and each group signifies a higher level of incorporation of the standard in the achieved level. Business aviation operators are required to register to ensure global aviation safety. The registration is critically key for every flight department operating airspace internationally. The Three stages of IS-BAO registration include.
Stage 1
Under this level, the flight operation department is expected to have included the IS-BAO standard requirements in their written procedures.
Stage 2
Under this level, the flight operation department should be able to prove through evidence that they are fully applying all the standard requirements and that it is their usual way of doing things.
Stage 3
Under this stage, both the operator and the parent company have to show that they have absorbed and reflected the required standards in their culture.
Conclusion
The time required to complete registration depends on the available number of resources the operator is willing to invest in the IS-BAO enterprise. If the resources utilized are outside, the amount of time required from the start to the conclusion of the registration will be shorter than that needed when all the resources are internal. Additionally, after registration, the company should adopt a safety cycle culture. This encourages the resolution of any safety and risk issues and ensures they are acceptable and can be brought forward without the fear of being punished. Such culture ensures that the source of the issue is identified and the risks that come with it are reduced.
