Press Release
Issued by ARGUS International.
January 20, 2010
ARGUS is pleased to announce the appointment of Ryan Kahl to the newly created position of International Sales Manager. The company created the new position in response to the increased international demand for the ARGUS Platinum Audit and the CHEQ (Charter Evaluation and Qualification) System.
The ARGUS CHEQ System is widely recognized as the most visible and sought after third party due diligence on business aircraft charter operators. Participation in the CHEQ system enables charter customers to request the ARGUS TripCHEQ Report containing fully-vetted, real-time information about a company, flight crew experience and aircraft accommodations. All ARGUS Rated operators must maintain complete, current and accurate data in the ARGUS CHEQ System suitable for producing an ARGUS TripCHEQ Report. The TripCHEQ is the only third party report that can validate the suitability of a charter operator, flight crew and aircraft against a charter buyer's personal standard. Internationally, there are now 250 aircraft and more than 600 pilots in the CHEQ System. To-date, 12 international operators have received an ARGUS rating, and several more will be added to the elite list during first quarter 2010, following completion of an ARGUS Audit.
"We are very pleased with the awareness and demand from the international community for our CHEQ products as well as our safety audits," stated Joe Moeggenberg, President and CEO of ARGUS. "In addition to the ARGUS Platinum audit, we find operators are increasingly interested in the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operators (IS-BAO). Both audits can help operators distinguish themselves as an elite group, dedicated to safety. "
ARGUS is the only auditing organization that can conduct an IS-BAO audit in conjunction with an ARGUS Platinum audit. This combination audit adds just one day to the overall audit, and as a result the charter company can potentially receive both an ARGUS rating as well as IS-BAO registration.
"We are committed to providing the best possible service to our customers, and as our international presence has grown, we felt it was time to have a dedicated person focusing on that particular customer base," added Scott Liston, Executive Vice President of Business Development. "Ryan has been serving as our CHEQ System Account Manager and his knowledge of the ARGUS CHEQ System, coupled with his previous experience in the aviation industry, will be very valuable for understanding and responding to our customer's needs."
Kahl has a diverse aviation background with experience at several ARGUS-rated charter operators. He has worked as a Chief Pilot, Flight Instructor, and Director of Operations among other positions. Kahl also has experience with FAA regulatory and certification policy and airport management. He holds a B.S. in Aviation Management and is an ATP-rated pilot with more than 1,500 hours of Pilot-in-Command experience in Learjets and Beechjets with charter operators.
Since 2001, ARGUS has been conducting on-site audits for the business aviation community and has become one of the most respected auditing organizations in the in industry. In total, the ARGUS PROS (Professional Resources for Operational Safety) audit group has performed more than 1,000 aviation operational safety audits worldwide. ARGUS PROS is the only audit organization that has developed its own industry-leading audit standard for charter operators and also holds authorizations from two world-recognized standards organizations. ARGUS is authorized by both the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) to perform audits utilizing their respective standards: IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and the IS-BAO. Based on auditor and instructor credentials, IATA has named ARGUS one of only five Endorsed Training Organizations accredited to provide IOSA Auditor training.
