A Word From the Director General
Kurt Edwards
The IBAC team had a very busy and productive February. In addition to the multiple activities mentioned below by our directors, we were participants at the Corporate Jet Investor (CJI) annual conference and the SAF Investor in London. Both events were a first for IBAC and included some enlightening discussions, first with anti-bizjet activists from the region with viewpoints centered around income inequality with little consideration or recognition of bizav's economic and societal benefits. At the SAF Investor event we were able to interact with many stakeholders outside of the business aviation industry, and to their surprise, share our sector’s commitment to and advocacy for increased SAF production and access.
The key takeaway from these events: we need as an industry to communicate better and more about the economic and societal benefits brought by business aviation around the world, our commitment to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and our campaign to accelerate the production and use of sustainable aviation fuel to get there.
The first Planning and Operations Committee meeting of 2024 will take place in Fort Worth this month, on the margins of NBAA’s Schedulers and Dispatchers Conference. It is a new setting for the group and will be good to interact with our ground-handling participants there. The meeting itself will cover some new territory, particularly developing work on cybersecurity at ICAO as well as next steps in the various activities related to sustainability. We look forward to seeing you there!
ICAO
Andreas Meyer, ICAO Liaison
ICAO organized an Industry Consultative Forum focused on cybersecurity. Industry presented efforts and concerns related to cybersecurity. The industry has expressed a desire for ICAO to continue its efforts to address cybersecurity as a real threat to aviation.
The ICAO Chief of Aeromedicine provided a briefing to the Air Navigation Commission on increasing the upper age limit for pilots. The current conclusion is that no medical evidence would support an increase in the upper age limit, but scientific work should continue.
ICAO’s North Atlantic working group on Blue Spruce routes recommended stopping terrestrial-based navigation routes over the North Atlantic. The recommendation will be discussed by the ICAO North Atlantic System Planning Group in June.
IBAC continues to observe the developments in Safety Management concepts with an eye on practical solutions for the industry. This approach has become more evident after initial discussion of amending Annex 19 with new safety management concepts.
SUSTAINABILITY
Claude Hurley, Director, Environment & Flight Operations
Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) remain a priority as we continue to engage with States, industry groups, and investors to set the stage for the wider availability of SAF for business aviation. IBAC continues its partnership with ICAO in ACT-SAF capacity building efforts, and Kurt moderated discussions at the well-attended SAF Investor conference in London. ICAO will host a symposium on non-CO2 aviation emissions at the end of July, and a ‘Stocktaking ’ event in October to better gauge progress on the Long Term Aspirational Goals agreed to in 2022, and the agreements reached at the 2023 Conference on Aviation & Alternative Fuels.
Work continues in the ICAO Flight Operations panel to make progress on a work program that includes deliverables that should enable more efficient flight routings, such as the development of more robust provisions on performance-based aerodrome operating minima.
Regulatory efforts to enable the safe introduction of Advanced Air Mobility eVTOL aircraft continue at ICAO, with the first AAM symposium slated to take place in September.
IS-BAO
Andrew Karas, IS-BAO Programme Director
In Istanbul, Turkey, last month, Stephane De Wolf served as the representative of IBAC and the IS-BAO Programme at the second meeting aimed at offering guidance on the prevention of runway incursions. This project, led by Eurocontrol and the Flight Safety Foundation, will soon release Volume 2, which concentrates on providing actionable guidance for our industry to avert such incidents.
Andrew Karas, representing IBAC, has received an invitation to participate in the ICAO Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Panel in Montreal, Canada, from March 18th to 22nd. This event will bring together ICAO Member States and industry organizations to advance the development of standards pertaining to airworthiness, operations, air traffic integration, and various other aspects. For further information on what this panel does, visit the ICAO website: Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Panel (RPASP) (icao.int)
The International Operators Conference, organized by NBAA, is scheduled to take place from March 26th to 28th in Orlando, Florida. With a stellar lineup of speakers, this event offers a valuable opportunity for collaboration among aviation professionals and to stay abreast of the latest developments in global operations. Yvonne Marinus, the IS-BAO Auditor Accreditation Manager, will represent IBAC at this conference. Register here: 2024 NBAA International Operators Conference (IOC2024) | NBAA - National Business Aviation Association
We extend our gratitude to HAI for providing us with the opportunity to present IBAC programs at HeliExpo 2024 in Anaheim last month. It was an exceptional event that unites the vertical lift industry. Katherine Hilst, Operations Manager for IS-BAO, and Marj Rose, Communications Manager for IBAC, were present at this event. HAI has undergone a rebranding initiative, now known as Vertical Aviation International. This shift reflects the industry's growth and evolving technologies, offering a more inclusive representation of various vertical lift capabilities. More to the story here: HAI Ushers in New Era as Vertical Aviation International | Aviation International News (ainonline.com)
The IS-BAO Initial and Recurrent workshop schedule has been posted through May 2024. A new offering included in the IS-BAO Initial Workshop is 1-year access to the online IS-BAO Protocol Standardization Course (IPS). The IPS is a self-paced, step-by-step review of each IS-BAO section, accompanied by explanations for every protocol. Sign-up here: International Business Aviation Council | Workshops (ibac.org)
IS-BAH
Terry Yeomans, Programme Director
IS-BAH workshops are scheduled for 2-3 April (Fundamentals) and 4-5 April (Auditing). We have already seen a positive uptake in the Fundamentals session registrations.
The IS-BAH team will be at the upcoming NBAA Schedulers and Dispatchers Conference in Fort Worth (Booth #1705).
IS-BAH Standards Board will take place Monday, 27 May prior to EBACE. Please save the date with further details to follow.
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