Alexandria, VA, March 3, 2009 — The Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) and Executive Jet Management (EJM) have finalized an agreement whereby 80 operators that provide supplemental lift for EJM will undergo the Foundation’s Industry Audit Standard (IAS) starting next month and concluding by the end of 2010. The 80 operators that will be audited under the ACSF Industry Audit Standard range from small and medium size operations to the largest Part 135 on-demand air charter companies.
The ACSF Industry Audit Standard (IAS) is a revolutionary program built from the ground up to set the standard for the independent evaluation of an air charter operator’s and/or shared ownership company’s safety and regulatory compliance, and incorporates Safety Management System (SMS) evaluation.
“The agreement forged between the ACSF and EJM demonstrates why the Air Charter Safety Foundation was created,” stated ACSF President James K. Coyne. “Part 135 operators from around the country were clamoring for one audit standard for the Part 135 industry. EJM’s recognition of the ACSF Industry Audit Standard as the benchmark for Part 135 audits clearly demonstrates the commitment this community has for this comprehensive new standard.”
Under the agreement, 39 operators that provide charter support for EJM will undergo audits in 2009 with the remaining 41 operators being audited in 2010. “The ACSF Industry Audit Standard encompasses those safety and best industry practices essential to the continued development and success of the air charter and management industry”, said Ben Murray, President and CEO of Executive Jet Management. “We are exited to partner with the ACSF to conduct the audits of our approved charter vendors. We believe this new standard represents the next evolution in safety and outstanding customer service that will continue to move our industry forward.”
Executive Jet Management, one of the NetJets family of companies, is a Part 135 certificate holder operating a large fleet of managed aircraft. EJM, recognizing the value of the Industry Audit Standard for those operators that provide supplemental lift to NetJets and EJM, approached ACSF earlier this year to negotiate an agreement. “NetJets and Executive Jet Management look forward to these 80 charter companies completing the rigorous process to become an IAS registered operator,” commented James C. Christiansen, president, NetJets Aviation, Inc. “As I have stated previously, our industry needed to coalesce around one comprehensive audit standard and the Air Charter Safety Foundation has provided the community with the model standard.”
Information on the ACSF Industry Audit Standard is available at acsfdev.com/audit. Operators wishing to initiate the audit process should contact Russ Lawton at 1-888-SAFE-135 (888-723-3135) or rlawton@acsf.aero.
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