EBAA and IBAC today announced the pilot launch of their Standards & Training for Aviation Responsibility and Sustainability (STARS) program. It is intended to evaluate the clarity and feasibility of a framework of social and environmental standards to be implemented across the business aviation value chain.
Thus, the program will introduce industry-wide best practices that will dovetail with existing IS-BAO and IS-BAH safety guidelines, as well as be made available to businesses that do not operate aircraft, manage FBOs, or provide ground handling services. Like IS-BAO and IS-BAH, the three-tiered sustainability accreditation program, which was developed starting in 2018, will employ an auditing process to ensure its integrity.
Scheduled to run through December, the pilot will involve six initial members: Air Charter Services UK, CAT Aviation, Flying Group, Luxaviation Malta, Time to Fly, and a Switzerland-based corporate flight department.
“STARS will provide a vital framework for members of the business aviation community to contribute to the broad range of sustainability needs as outlined in the UN Sustainable Development Goals,” said IBAC director general Kurt Edwards. “Experiences in the pilot will allow us to refine the sustainability best practices, and we can begin to roll out the STARS program across Europe in 2022 and globally by 2024.”