Story ID: 827 AeroEx.doc
AeroEx Can Navigate the NCC Jungle
By: David Donald
Caption: With European NCC rules set to come into force next summer, AeroEx is offering assistance to operators as they come to terms with the new regulations
Word Count: 469
With EASA NCC (non-commercial complex) regulations to come into force on August 25 next year, operators are facing the need to have compliance documents and declarations in place before the deadline. Based at Buchs in Switzerland, consultancy and compliance experts AeroEx offers a range of services that can help operators meet applicable requirements, regardless of the amount of assistance they may require.

Published in August 2013, NCC regulations apply to non-commercial operators of aircraft of more than 5,700 kg (12,566 pounds) MTOW, and also to all jet-powered aircraft. AeroEx offers a comprehensive service to meet regulatory requirements, tailoring its proposals to meet the expertise and existing structures within the operator’s organization. “We can help you navigate through the jungle,” said Joel Hencks, the company’s managing director.

As a first step, AeroEx can provide training in what the regulations actually spell out, before performing a “gap analysis” to assess where the operator remains deficient or where it does not have the necessary expertise to complete compliance. The company also assists with the establishment and declaration of standard operating procedures and safety management solutions, and in obtaining specific approvals for procedures such as RSVM, MNPS, PBN and LVO, if applicable.

For NCC and other regulatory requirements AeroEx offers a compliance monitoring service, including the newly developed AMAS II software that was announced last year at NBAA. This provides a means of tracking compliance with what can amount to more than 6,000 specific items, making for a near-impossible task without digitization. “Implementing compliance is one thing, but maintaining it is another,” remarked Hencks.

Many of the NCC requirements are similar to the standards set out by IBAC under the IS-BAO standard for operators. AeroEx is an accredited auditor for IS-BAO, and also for the IS-BAH standard for aircraft handlers. Formal European regulations for FBOs and other handling services are being studied and, while implementation may still be some years away, IBAC has taken the initiative to institute its own standards–not only to provide a measurable mark of safety and performance, but also in anticipation of EASA regulation.

IS-BAH has been initiated to “help industry get a little bit safer,” said Hencks, “and who knows best how to regulate industry? It’s the industry itself.” Recently Sky Valet at Cannes Airport in France became the first IS-BAH-certified FBO in Europe, assisted by AeroEx.

AeroEx (Booth A059) is currently engaged by more than 250 operators to provide consultancy and compliance support. Its expertise in many areas allows it to offer a number of services, including the provision of interim management to ensure the maintaining of standards during staff transition periods, compliance training for senior management, pre-audit inspections, preparation of manuals, implementation of safety management solutions, and taking on the assignation of audit-related responsibilities.