The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) hopes that IS-BAO/IS-BAH can be used as a tool to help Asian aviation authorities develop differentiated regulations and standards for general and business aviation (GA/BA).
IBAC director general Kurt Edwards said one of the biggest issues facing business operators in Asia is the regulatory environment. Most states in the region have not implemented ICAO Annex 6 Part II standards for GA/BA, even though business aircraft operators have adopted it.
“You find the authorities have a one-size-fits-all approach, which is not differentiated and does not recognize different models of aviation. So there are business aircraft operators complying with airline rules, and we think that is inappropriate,” he told AIN.
IBAC wishes to help the authorities develop differentiated standards for GA/BA based on ICAO’s Standards And Recommended Practices (SARPs). There are success stories, such as Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, where IS-BAO is used as an alternate means of compliance. IBAC is already in talks with the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, which has announced plans to develop regulations for GA/BA. “We are also in talks with EASA for IS-BAO-registered operators to have most, if not all of its Part-NCC approval credited,” e added.
IS-BAO is an international standard for operators who fly internationally, but Edwards noted that there is a large portion of domestic U.S. users who are registered as they see the value of the IS-BAO structure and its safety management system. “In Europe, where ramp inspection processes are very structured, IBAC sees IS-BAO operators usually have a ‘lighter’ ramp inspection versus those who are not registered.”
He said that although two-thirds of IS-BAO-registered operators are in the U.S., China already has 21 operators (32 including Hong Kong), and the take-up rate in Asia is good. “Although it has a relatively small fleet size, it is the region that is growing the fastest,” he said.