1. Purpose

This IS-BAO policy has been developed to respond to the broad safety advantages when aviation support services companies provide safety management services to a group of small flight departments through assistance in implementing the IS-BAO ‘code of practice’. The policy provides a framework for recognition of arrangements and issue of IS-BAO Registration where an aviation support company provides operational, maintenance, administrative and/or safety support services to a group of individual operators who operate to common programs, systems, procedures and management developed by the support service company.

2. Discussion

There are many corporate aviation flight departments that consist of one or two aircraft and a very limited number of people. For a variety of reasons, including lack of time, appropriate experience and/or skills, such situations are often characterized by a lack of mature programs, systems and procedures to effectively manage the operational, maintenance, administrative and safety issues of the flight department. While the IS-BAO was developed in part to address the scale of operation of a small flight department, it is recognized that schemes may from time to time be developed that will complement the safety objective of the IS-BAO without undermining its integrity. The proposal that motivated this policy would see a business aviation support service company provide operational, maintenance, administrative and/or safety management support to a group or groups of individual small flight departments hereafter referred to as the entity.

3. Policy

3.1 Support Services for Implementing IS-BAO

3.1.1 IBAC Member Associations recognize that support service companies may develop common programs for a group of small flight departments where there are limited internal resources and that cost and time benefits, and hence safety value, can be derived by grouping resources.

3.1.2 The aviation support service provider must be cognizant that:

a. The programs, systems, procedures and manuals used are valid for each individual operator and accurately reflect how that operation is being managed and conducted,

b. The safety management system ensures that the hazards and associated risks inherent in each individual operation are identified and reduced to as low a level as reasonably achievable,

c. The safety management activities of each operator and the entity, are tracked to ensure that they are appropriate and effective, and

d. Changes to programs, systems, procedures and manuals are made when it is determined through the safety management system of an individual operator or the entity or through an audit, that changes are appropriate.

3.1.3 It is recognized that the support services company will act as the safety supervisor for all of the flight departments in the entity and will be responsible to the Flight Department Manager /Chief Pilot in each of the flight departments.

3.1.4 The Support Services General conditions will normally include arrangements for formation by a legal contract that identifies the Accountable Executive for each of the individual flight departments or companies and the support service provider that has been contracted to provide the operational, maintenance, administrative and/or safety support to the entity.

3.2 Provision of IS-BAO

3.2.1 It is recognized that there are economies of scale for both the flight departments and IBAC Member Associations through use of support services companies’ provision of common services. The cost reduction for IBAC derives from the need to communicate with only one safety supervisor for a group of companies rather than with a number of individual flight department representatives. Such safety support service by the Standards Manager was incorporated into the IS-BAO costing structure.

3.2.2 In order to ensure that each member of the entity is fully conversant with the IS-BAO and related standards they must be an IS-BAO holder. In recognition that the costs to the IS-BAO program are reduced when common services are provided, a reduction of 30% will be applied to the price of copies of the IS-BAO that are purchased in a bulk quantity of five or more by an aviation support service company.

3.3 IS-BAO Registration Audit

3.3.1 The support services company may negotiate with an auditing company to provide IS-BAO Registration Audits for the group of flight departments through a packaged program. This provides economies of scale for both the flight departments and the auditing company.

3.3.2 IS-BAO Registration Audits must be conducted by an auditor that is independent from all of the parties involved.

3.3.3 Registration Audits must be conducted on each member of the entity independently and be conducted to the level required for the auditor to ensure that each member is in conformance with the requirements of the IS-BAO.

3.3.4 IS-BAO Registrations will be issued independently to each member of the entity. The registration will reference the support service company, the entity identifier and be dependant on the continued relationship with each of them as specified in the contract between the individual flight department and the support service company.

Ray Rohr
IBAC Standards Manager