Air Methods has submitted a declaration of compliance with the FAA for the safety management system (SMS) under 14 CFR Part 5. This compliance, which applies to both Part 91 and Part 135 operations, makes Air Methods one of the first air medical providers to meet the same level of rigorous standards applied to airlines.

“Safety is at the core of everything we do at Air Methods,” says CEO JaeLynn Williams. “This milestone exemplifies our steadfast commitment to providing the highest level of care and safety for all our patients, crews and partners.”

Since June 2021, Air Methods’ SMS has been accepted by the FAA through its voluntary programme and is among the one per cent of all Part 135 operators to have achieved this level of recognition since the programme’s inception in 2000. By proactively enhancing its programme to meet the newly implemented SMS rule, Air Methods has now declared full compliance well ahead of the May 2027 deadline set for Part 135 operators.

“This achievement is a testament to everyone’s unwavering dedication to maintaining the highest safety standards across every aspect of our operations,” says interim SVP of safety Doug Downey. “This accomplishment would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of every member of our organisation. We are proud to be leading the way in safety management and innovation.”

Air Methods’ SMS is a proactive, data-driven framework that enables it to identify potential hazards before they become critical safety issues, ensuring that it can continue delivering the safest air medical transport services in the industry. It provides an organisation-wide approach to identifying safety hazards, assessing and managing safety risk and assuring the effectiveness of safety risk controls.