The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) is expanding its business aircraft operations standards program (IS-BAO) with new leadership and objectives as it incorporates feedback from stakeholders and develops tools to meet operators' needs into the next decade. Dubbed IS-BAO Vision 2020, the new initiative is designed to respond to a “listening tour” the organization undertook and includes input from operators and standards auditors at focus groups, industry roundtables and direct feedback.
The organization's IS-BAO program is a voluntary, global, best-safety-standards code designed for and by the business aviation industry. Begun in 2002 with Coca-Cola and Entergy Corp. as its first participating operators, IS-BAO is built upon International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards and recommended practices, with the safety management system (SMS) concept at its core.
After 15 years of success among nearly 800 business aircraft operators worldwide, the IS-BAO team came away from its listening tour with a mandate to streamline and modernize its efforts. Among major recommendations is a step-by-step process for new and/or small operators, adding value for more established operators and consolidating and refreshing its existing standard.
The result is IS-BAO's Vision 2020 program, which includes a variety of features. For example, it incorporates a new audit management system for operators and auditors, and improved IS-BAO Standards Board representation in conjunction with a new IS-BAO Standard Quality System. The auditing process has been improved through new standardization initiatives. Also, IS-BAO will directly engage with worldwide regulatory authorities.
Under Vision 2020, the standard's process flow has been consolidated for efficiency and to reduce operator and auditor workload. The standards document also has been realigned in support of IBAC's common-core SMS. The effective date has been extended, to July 1, 2018, while the new applicability date is July 1, 2019, changes designed to allow more operator flexibility and gradual implementation. The standard also incorporates best practices submitted by operators through existing NBAA and EBAA safety committees.
To help implement all the changes resulting from its listening tour, IBAC is adding three new professionals, including one with responsibility for the organization's business aircraft handling program, IS-BAH. Lawrence “Fletch” Fletcher becomes audit manager for IS-BAH, and will assist Terry Yeomans, IS-BAH director. Fletcher comes from the IS-BAO program, where he served as its audit manager.
Daniel Devraignes takes on the role of audit manager for IS-BAO, after serving as its audit accreditation manager. And Yvonne Marinus, with experience as an IS-BAO auditor, will become IS-BAO's auditor accreditation manager. Both Devraignes and Marinus will assist IS-BAO director Ben Walsh.