The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) continues to build on its International Standard for Business Aircraft Operators (IS-BAO) suite of safety management programs with the rollout of a new Progressive Stage 3 (PS3) tier. In the works and beta tested over the past two years, IS-BAO PS3 enables operators to advance their Stage 3 safety system, share data, mentor, and share best practices with others, IBAC said, announcing the program during NBAA-VBACE.
“The PS3 initiative demonstrates that business aircraft operators can go beyond simply implementing SMS,” said IBAC director-general Kurt Edwards. “They can emphasize continuous improvement, develop mature safety cultures, and share safety knowledge and experience with peers and those earlier along the SMS path.”
A PS3 beta team encompassing both large and small IS-BAO Stage 3 operators helped refine the program working with the Progressive Auditor group. “Most of the beta PS3 leadership team have been successfully registered as an IS-BAO operator for 10 to 15 years and have gone through three or more Stage 3 audits so their input was crucial to the development of this program,” said Bennet Walsh, director of the IS-BAO program.
Designed to provide additional pathways for continuous improvement, PS3 includes a one-day progressive auditing process from a credentialed Progressive Auditor based in the operator’s region of the world. Participants have access to an exclusive IS-BAO safety database with PS3-shared de-identified data. Baldwin Safety & Compliance manages the database. “The mission we share always includes continuous improvement,” said Walsh. “And these Stage 3 operators live and breathe it every day.”
IBAC has added a webinar to its website to provide further information on the PS3 program.
Separately, IBAC announced that the Irish Business and General Aviation Association (IBGAA) has joined the association as the 15th member. Josh Stewart, founding chairman of IBGAA called the move, “a massively important step in our mission to bring Ireland’s business and general aviation industry together. As a national non-profit association, IBGAA aims to have an international reach, while actively striving to showcase Ireland as a global hub for business and general aviation opportunities.”
Founded in 1981 by five business aviation associations, IBAC now represents members on six continents.