The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH) program, honoring its first registered ground handler, SRC Aviation of New Delhi, India. Also as part of the milestone year, IBAC launched an IS-BAH campaign, “Elevating Ground Handling Safety.”
“The idea for IS-BAH was based on the success of the aircraft operators’ standard, IS-BAO, introduced more than 20 years ago,” said IBAC director general Kurt Edwards. “Its global recognition as an industry safety standard inspired us to develop something similar for the critical ground handling sector, complement the operational standard, and get ahead of coming SMS requirements in this area. We are grateful for SRC Aviation and their proactive approach to safety.”
SRC Aviation implemented and achieved Stage 1 in 2014, and Edwards said they have “continued their leadership in the program” and have been with IS-BAH for the duration.
“We are very proud to have been the first IS-BAH-recognized ground handler on the planet,” said Bobby Chadha, managing director for SRC Aviation. “Implementing IS-BAH has significantly benefited us by reinforcing our commitment to ground handling safety and elevating our service quality.”
He explained that under IS-BAH, SRC Aviation has introduced training programs to better equip its team to perform their duties safely and efficiently. “Regular audits and performance evaluations under the IS-BAH framework ensure that any deviations from safety protocols are promptly addressed, helping us maintain operational efficiency and safety compliance.
“IS-BAH certification sets SRC Aviation apart from competitors by showcasing our dedication to maintaining high safety standards, which helps us attract and retain clients who value safety and quality in ground handling services.”
Edwards told AIN that the program has had a “terrific pickup over those years with more than 300 registered facilities around the world.”
That’s particularly gratifying because there is no regulatory requirement in terms of how FBOs manage themselves and putting in place a safety management system. “Although it's coming in Europe, but these hundreds of facilities have voluntarily said, ‘We want to demonstrate excellence and safety.’”
Terry Yeomans, IS-BAH program director, agreed. “Getting 300-plus organizations to do something when they don't need to do it globally is a huge achievement. I think it shows commitment from our sector, from the business aviation sector to make a difference.” He added that the aircraft operator is going to benefit from IS-BAH as much as the FBOs.
The program has set a benchmark for ground handlers and FBOs when there has not been one before, he noted. “There’s been a lot of opportunities for people to say, ‘We're the best FBO; we do this better than everybody else,” Yeomans said. But that is based on the nice staff, the lounge, the crew cars, and even the coffee. “But do they mention safety? This is what we're trying to get people to think about: Let’s make it a core value.”
Also driving its creation were rumblings that EASA was heading in the direction of regulations, and IBAC wanted to get ahead of that, building off IS-BAO, Edwards said, adding that the program brought safety management systems to ground handling.
The fact that a ground handler from India joined first underscores that IS-BAH is a global program, Yeomans added. But there are more facilities outside North America signing on to the program than inside the largest business aviation market.
“We’ve got every other region covered globally,” he said. “The rest of the world is beating the U.S. by a considerable margin. That's something that really people need to wake up to.”
As for the Elevating Ground Handling Safety campaign, IBAC is planning initiatives throughout the year, including case studies such as the recently released Duncan Aviation’s Journey to Stage 3 IS-BAH, a Top 10 series of Elevating Your Safety, and a View from the Ramp photo contest for IS-BAH organizations.