Kate Sarsfield/LONDON
The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) is planning to issue the final draft of its International Standards for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition in Geneva in April. The voluntary "code of conduct" will then be trialled by five "respected" operators before being formally adopted by the industry, says IBAC.
The IS-BAO, presented in the form of a company operating manual, was launched by IBAC last year in response to demand from the international business aircraft community, such as flight departments and charter companies.
The community called for the creation of workable, common baseline operating standards across the industry, incorporating equipment, maintenance and procedural requirements.
Montreal, Canada-based IBAC, the umbrella organisation for nine worldwide trade associations including the US National Business Aviation Association and the European Business Aviation Association, has completed the IS-BAO proof of concept phase.
IBAC is now moulding, through a team approach, "the best practices of the best companies" in the form of standards closely aligned with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and International Standards Organisation guidelines.
Don Spruston, IBAC's director-general, says: "Notwithstanding ICAO's standards and recommended practices, one of the most significant aviation issues is the lack of harmonised international operation procedures. No common baseline exists for measuring a good operation and for helping new operators to develop a high standard."
Spruston admits that regulators "wrestling with the consequences of rapid growth" could develop new regulations "in an inequitable way" because they do not have an understanding of business aircraft operations.
As such, IBAC is keen for the European Joint Aviation Authorities to adopt IS-BAO as the basis for JAR OPS 2, currently being drawn up to cover non-commercial operations in Europe.
Spruston believes that, although voluntary, the IS-BAO certification take-up rate will be high as operators seek to adopt a common international standard.
Source: Flight International
