Press Release

Issued by European Business Aviation Association.

July 8, 2014

The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) and the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) have released the International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH), the set of global industry best practices for business aviation ground handlers. The standard is now available for purchase in Europe via the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA).

Announced at the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE2014) in Geneva in May, IS-BAH is modelled on the structure of the long established and successful International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) program and incorporates the NATA Safety 1st Ground Audit Program. As one global industry code of best practices, IS-BAH will provide standardisation to handlers and operators around the world to meet the coming SMS requirements from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

IS-BAH features, at its core, a safety management system (SMS), and also includes a voluntary registration process, auditor credentialing, audit approval process, and a manual and fully integrated implementation guide. The SMS component allows IS-BAH-registered handlers and fixed-based operators (FBOs) to gain recognition by their customers, particularly operators, for having in place a well-founded safety management development process. Maturity of a handler's or FBO's SMS is a critical factor in the long-term recognition of the use of industry best practices that conform to ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPS).

“We're glad to provide an instrument that is a win-win solution to the whole industry value chain. IS-BAH will establish and promote best practice amongst FBOs, give visibility where there was previously little, and give airspace users valuable indications on the level of service they can expect from such crucial providers,” said Fabio Gamba, ceo, EBAA.

IBAC will provide workshops on the fundamentals of and auditing for IS-BAH at locations around the world: the first scheduled to take place in Europe, in partnership with EBAA, on 27 August 2014, at Paris Le Bourget. Additional IS-BAH workshops will be posted on the IBAC website by 15 July.

“The business aviation community - operators and handlers - welcomed the IBAC-NATA announcement of IS-BAH in May,” said Kurt Edwards, director general of IBAC. “We are pleased to be able to now make it available. IS-BAH will further enhance safety and standardise practices at airports that handle business aviation around the world.”

For more information or to purchase the standard in Europe, please contact Belarmino G. Paradela, senior manager, economics and operational activities, EBAA on +32 2 766 00 70 or bgparadela@ebaa.org.