Aviation Charters, a sister company to New Jersey-based service provider FlightServ, has achieved FAR Part 5 SMS Active Conformance status. This is one of the industry’s highest levels of safety management certification and makes the company the first in the Greater Philadelphia area to obtain it.
Based at FlightServ’s FBO and maintenance base at Trenton Mercer Airport (KTTN), Aviation Charters embarked on its mission to achieve the standard in March 2019 when the rigorous process was part of the FAA’s Safety Management System Voluntary Program. Its SMS manual was approved in January 2020. In May 2024, the voluntary program became mandatory for Part 135 charter operators, and Aviation Charters recently received its certification.
For the company in general, SMS is not limited to its aircraft operation but is embraced by all of its divisions, including its FBO, aircraft maintenance, and aircraft detailing businesses.
“It has taken an immense amount of effort and focus from every single employee across our companies to make this industry-leading achievement possible,” said Aviation Charters president Paul Weiss. “This certification underscores our unwavering dedication to safety at every level.” He added that an active SMS allows it to proactively identify and mitigate risks, ensuring the highest level of safety for its operations.
To assist other operators interested in reaching active conformance status, the company has assembled a team of highly-trained professionals.