Brazilian fixed-wing and rotary operator Helisul Aviação has completed the second stage of IS-BAO certification, which establishes safety requirements for the operation of executive aircraft. The company is the first in southern Brazil to receive this recognition, granted by international non-governmental organisation the International Business Aviation Council.

This compliance is a non-regulatory international standard, meaning it is not mandatory. It is a standard of excellence with requirements that go beyond the regulatory minimums established by the competent civil aviation authority to authorise operations, in this case ANAC, the Brazilian the national civil aviation authority.

“We have a select group of customers who are looking for a higher level of quality and safety. With this certification, we fully meet the needs of these customers,” says operational superintendent Bruno Biesuz.

IS-BAO certification takes place in three stages. The first, initial and provisional stage is valid for 24 months. It indicates that an appropriate operational safety management system (OSMS) has been established. This certification was issued to Helisul by IBAC on 22 December 2021, but the company did not have to wait for two years of validity to proceed to the next stage of certification.

This second stage is intermediate and can be maintained indefinitely, as long as it is renewed every two years. This stage indicates that security risks are being effectively managed by the operator.

According to Helisul's operational safety manager Salvador Coutinho, the company's management team is highly involved in operating the operational safety management system: “The board is interested in security and invests heavily in continuous improvement of our system,” he says. “Helisul, which already had its SMS well established, needed to adjust a series of procedures and policies to better meet the IS-BAO requirements. This exercise brought excellent improvements to the system.”

Following the gradual evolution established by IBAC, Helisul will seek the third and final stage of IS-BAO certification in the near future.