Alexandria, VA, May 23, 2012 - Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) staff made two presentations regarding upcoming Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements for safety management systems (SMS) at the 57th annual Wisconsin Aviation Conference.
ACSF Director of Safety Management Russ Lawton and ACSF President Bryan Burns spoke at a luncheon with 250 attendees that included airport managers, staff and commissioners; representatives of flight departments, on-demand charter operators, and FBOs; and federal and state aviation officials from across the state of Wisconsin. "New regulations that will mandate SMS implementation at FAA Part 139-certificated airports will be coming soon," said Lawton. "Wisconsin has nine Part 139 airports that will be affected by the new requirements, and it's important to start developing plans for SMS implementation before the new rule becomes effective in 2013."
Lawton outlined the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) requirements emphasizing safety accountability and continuous improvement. "Even non-certificated airports can benefit from SMS by developing comprehensive risk management programs," he explained.
Lawton also briefed flight department managers and on-demand charter operators on international SMS requirements and what is required for compliance. The attendees were presented with the ACSF Industry Audit Standard as a tool for measuring conformance with international SMS requirements.
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Through research, collaboration and education, the Air Charter Safety Foundation advances charter and shared aircraft ownership industry standards and best practices; promulgates safety, security and service benchmarks; and promotes the universal acceptance of safety management systems.
