Long Island, New York-based Ventura Air Services has achieved the prestigious ARGUS Platinum rating. This designation places the company in the upper 25 per cent of nearly 600 rated US-based charter operators and further validates a commitment to the highest level of safety held by only an elite group of operators around the globe.

“At Ventura Air Services we have a culture that is built on a commitment to operational excellence. We have always made safety our number one priority. Receiving the ARGUS Platinum rating validates that we have taken the right approach,” says CEO Nick Tarascio.

The ARGUS Platinum rating is the highest level of the ARGUS audit standard, awarded only to those air charter operators that have demonstrated successful implementation of industry best safety practices relative to their operations and maintenance. The ARGUS Platinum rating consists of an audit that takes an in-depth look into the quality of documented processes in place, in addition to the strength of the safety management system implemented by the operation. Receiving a Platinum rating means the operation has been examined over several days by a team of on-site auditors and subsequently completed all corrective actions necessary to meet the standard.

Currently in the ARGUS ratings system, there are 584 total rated operators; 134 Platinum, seven Gold Plus and 442 Gold. There are a total of 25 total operators ARGUS-rated with a fleet of 10 or more aircraft, of which only 11 (or 44 per cent), like Ventura Air Services, have achieved a Platinum rating.

“The ARGUS Platinum rating shows that Ventura embraces best practices and that we have a culture that is focused on implementing the highest standards of safety, well beyond federal mandates. Our clients and the brokers we work with can be confident in choosing and recommending us. This distinction reaffirms that each of our aircraft, our personnel and our operation have met and exceeded the highest standards in the industry,” adds Tarascio.

In addition to the ARGUS Platinum designation, Ventura Air Services also has IS-BAO Stage I certification. IS-BAO is a code of best practices that serves as the gold standard for business aviation around the world.