L.J. Aviation is first to complete the new IAS Audit registration to align with FAR Part 5 and ICAO Annex 19
Washington, DC, July 28, 2021 — By the end of 2022, air charter companies may need to develop a safety management system (SMS) appropriate to the size, scope and complexity of the companies’ operations. That is, if the FAA develops a broader mandate for Part 135 operators. To help operators prepare for the change, the Air Charter Safety Foundation (acsfdev.com), a nonprofit aviation safety organization, has updated its ACSF Industry Audit Standard (IAS).
The revisions to the Industry Audit Standard will allow Part 135 organizations to implement an SMS that is consistent with Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 5, as well as the International Civil Aviation Organization Annex 19. By adhering to IAS standard, operators are voluntarily aligning with FAR Part 5, ahead of the proposed rulemaking. The IAS is also available to Part 91 aviation organizations that are interested in going above and beyond the minimum audit standards.
In a recent Auditor Workshop held this past spring, the ACSF presented the revised audit standard documents, updated forms and audit report components. Bryan Burns, the Air Charter Safety Foundation’s President, noted: “Now that many of our external auditors are aligned with the IAS revisions—and how to interpret the standards—our next step is to help educate our ACSF member companies on what will be required in the coming year. If a company doesn’t have a SMS in place, the time to start is now, so we urge them to get in touch with us.”
In a recent Auditor Workshop held this past spring, the ACSF presented the revised audit standard documents, updated forms and audit report components. Bryan Burns, the Air Charter Safety Foundation’s President, noted: “Now that many of our external auditors are aligned with the IAS revisions—and how to interpret the standards—our next step is to help educate our ACSF member companies on what will be required in the coming year. If a company doesn’t have a SMS in place, the time to start is now, so we urge them to get in touch with us.”
To help operators prepare for the IAS Audit, the ACSF emphasizes the need to complete a pre-audit checklist and conduct a full gap analysis for every item in the standard.
L.J. Aviation Completes New IAS Audit
Burns was pleased to announce that the Foundation’s first member company to complete the new ACSF Industry Audit Standard was L.J. Aviation. The Pennsylvania-based company conducted its external audit with assistance from ACSF-accredited third-party auditors Amanda Ferraro, CAM, and Marta Maiden, of Aviation Safety Solutions.
Ferraro called the audit experience a success. “It was a wonderful experience, and went off without a hitch, in part because L.J. Aviation already has a very robust SMS, but also because I received the manuals well in advance, which enabled me to complete a full gap analysis for the operator ahead of time.” She added: “The prework is the single-best action, and one that’s critical to any audit. That means I can spend my time onsite with the operator focusing on what they’re doing right, and how they can do things even better.”
“As a longtime member of Air Charter Safety Foundation, L.J. Aviation values the comprehensive and practical protocols ACSF promotes to improve human factors recognition and industry safety,” said Edward M. Kilkeary, Jr., President, L.J. Aviation.
To learn more about the ACSF and the Industry Audit Standard, visit acsfdev.com/audit.
About the ACSF
The Air Charter Safety Foundation is a non-profit organization with more than 260 member companies. Its mission is to lead and support the advancement of the highest safety standards available; to enable the business, charter and fractional ownership industry to offer the safest air transportation products in the world; and to provide objective information about these standards and services to the public. In accordance with its mission, the ACSF developed the Industry Audit Standard for Part 135 and 91K operators, which serves as a detailed gap analysis of an operator’s management practices. The ACSF also administers the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) in partnership with the FAA. The ASAP, which has 190 participants, makes use of member employee input to identify significant safety concerns and issues, operational deficiencies, non-compliance with regulations, deviations from company policies and procedures, and unusual events. The ACSF hosts an annual Air Charter Safety Symposium, with information available at acsfdev.com/symposium.
