NetJets To Implement Flight Operational Quality Assurance Program

NetJets is poised to become the first U.S. fractional aircraft operator to implement a Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA) program. Its FOQA initiative is the result of a recently reached agreement with pilots' union NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP) and will cover the company’s Signature Series aircraft that entered the fleet over the last several years.

“Our top priority is the safety of our customers and our crewmembers,” said NetJets COO Bill Noe. “We have already reached the highest level of the FAA’s safety management system, and implementing FOQA now takes our commitment to safety to the highest level possible.”

FOQA is an FAA-approved voluntary program designed to improve safety by using flight recorder data, which is downloaded and analyzed. NetJets said the results will be used to “enrich training programs, improve maintenance and create greater efficiency and operating procedures.”

“A good example of the value of FOQA is analyzing the risks associated with runway overrun on landing,” said Noe. “The way to reduce that risk is to ensure the aircraft touches down at the right speed and at the right point on the runway. FOQA captures this data, which is then aggregated.

“The information is shared with our pilots, both through periodic communication to show changes in trends and also targeted focus in training events in a simulator. Over time, the emphasis increases consistent aircraft landings to improve safe operations.”

NetJets said it is the only fractional provider to be certified in “active conformance” with the FAA’s Safety Management System Voluntary Program (SMSVP), the highest level in safety management. SMSVP requires the certificate holder to use and continually improve its safety management processes, the company said.