June 25, 2024
This year, the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) commemorates the 10th anniversary of IS-BAH, the global business aviation ground-handling safety program, in which 318 locations have, so far, achieved Stage 1 registration.
A voluntary program, IS-BAH is the first industry standard to bring the safety management system (SMS) concept to ground handling. IS-BAH follows the structure of the IS-BAO program for business aircraft operations and is the global industry standard for ground handling service providers, aligning with proposed SMS requirements being introduced by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
IS-BAH Program Director Terry Yeomans said the program has given organizations a tool that highlights where they need to focus their risk assessments.
“We encourage people to look at a typical ground-handling day, arrival, departure and think about the hazards that surround that particular aircraft movement,” he said. “We want to get people thinking and put safety as a core value for every everything they do.”
There’s a particular angle here for the United States in that the FAA recently issued a new rule for on Part 139 SMS requirements for airports, noted IBAC Director General
Kurt Edwards. “IS-BAH provides a high level of complementarity to what an airport is required to do from an SMS point of view,” he added.
“IS-BAH should be a component of an operator’s safety analysis when evaluating where to take their aircraft away from home base,” said NBAA Senior Vice President Safety, Security, Sustainability and International Operations Doug Carr. “IS-BAH helps operators to identify ground handlers that have safety processes that can easily integrate with an operator’s own safety program.”
Safety Considerations
Edwards and Yeomans said IS-BAH offers numerous avenues for operators to consider safety in their operations and they are hoping the program continues to reach a wider audience, noting that more effective, efficient and safer operations have a cost benefit.
As for those already participating in the program, Edwards commended those operators for a proactive approach to safety. “They’re all doing this voluntarily. There is no regulatory obligation for them to do this at this time,” he said. “So, they’re really demonstrating leadership and excellence in safety, and it’s important to recognize them for what they are doing.”
FBO Services Manager for Duncan Aviation Troy Hyberger said IS-BAH has been a valuable tool for his organization.
“We perform all the same services as traditional FBOs but the majority of our days are spent supporting the MRO side of our business through a large volume of aircraft movements that need to be performed safely and efficiently, and that makes us a little different,” he said. “We had good safety practices prior to having an SMS but we were looking for more. IS-BAH enabled us to build our own system and align with the global industry’s best safety practices. This program helped us protect the company through enhanced safety for all of us, our customers, and our customers’ assets.”
Edwards said, “It is truly a scalable operation, and it’s driven by the industry as well. It’s not at standard that we make up on our own; it’s the industry that is driving this program.”
The IS-BAH program continues to replicate the IS-BAO program that was first introduced in 2002. In addition to encouraging these operators to seek out an IS-BAH accredited FBO, seasoned IS-BAO Stage 3 operators are always looking for continuous safety improvement opportunities.
“We are just starting to see some experienced IS-BAO operators that are under the Progressive Stage 3 program, are now looking at getting their in-house ground handling IS-BAH registered as well,” said Yeomans. “I think this shows that their SMS and their progression with their safety management system oversight is [such] that they’re looking at every element of their operation now and that includes the ground handling and maintenance side of things.”
