A Word From the Director General
Kurt Edwards
As many return from vacation, we encounter schedules filled with key events. The fall calendar is full, reflecting continued energy in the international business aviation sector.
IBAC looks forward to the Planning and Operations Committee meeting on 12 and 13 September. Sustainability will be the central topic of our conversation.
Several in the international business aviation community will speak at JetNet IQ Summit in New York on 14 September. I’m pleased to see that BBGA, MEBAA, and NBAA, along with IBAC, are playing prominent roles in the gathering.
The Council on Sustainable Aviation Fuels Accountability (CoSAFA) will hold two virtual workshops to present to and hear feedback from operators on fair rules to guide SAF attribute transactions supported by robust accounting and auditing procedures. The CoSAFA methodology is intended to support book-and-claim systems, which are critical to business aviation operators’ ability to send important demand signals to SAF producers and to receive credit for the environmental attributes of SAF. The workshops will take place on 12 and 13 September, each at a different time to accommodate global participation.
The Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA) will hold large events in September in both Singapore on 21 September and in Manila on 27-28 September. I look forward to joining AsBAA in Manila.
At the end of the month, ICAO will hold its Pre-CAAF/3 Consultations in Montreal. This meeting prepares us for the 3rd Conference on Alternative Aviation Fuels in Dubai in late November. See more below in Capt. Hurley’s discussion.
Prior to the Pre-CAAF/3 Consultations, IBAC will support an informal briefing to the ICAO Council by the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), focusing on industry interest in and commitment to SAF.
And looking into October, IBAC will speak before the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations and will hold the IS-BAO Standards Board and IBAC Governing Board meetings around the NBAA Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition in Las Vegas.
I’m looking forward to seeing you at these events and encourage you to engage.
ICAO
Andreas Meyer, ICAO Liaison
- ICAO organized the first of these ICAO Air Navigation World brand of events with the theme of “Shaping the Skies of Tomorrow: Addressing Key Issues and Technologies in Air Navigation and Safety” to obtain stakeholder insight for enhancing the organization’s innovation and resilience approach while augmenting synergies between efficiency and safety. The event took place in Montreal between August 28 and 31, 2023. IBAC’s Safety Specialist, Stephane DeWolf, and IBAC's Director for ICAO Liaison, Andreas Meyer, were invited as panelists and spoke on Safety Management evolution and Air Ambulance Operations.
- As a member of the ICAO Industry Consultative Forum IBAC supports the Forum's four recommendations to the ICAO Council:
Recommendation #1
Strongly encourage ongoing work related to the establishment of a standardization roadmap that would flexibly capture the timeline of upcoming technologies and the corresponding development of new or updated standards and recommended practices needed to accompany the deployment of these technologies, including in the area of infrastructure and operations.
Recommendation #2
Performance-based and technologically agnostic Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) regarding alternative propulsion systems should be developed to ensure the safe, efficient, secure, economically feasible and environmentally sustainable entry into market of new technologies, thus creating an enabling operational and regulatory environment.
Recommendation #3
ICAO should play a leadership role in defining a global approach for the implementation of LTAG (net-zero carbon emissions by 2050), including assistance, capacity-building and training, in close cooperation with all stakeholders and taking into account the lessons from existing ICAO initiatives (e.g. ICAO ACT-SAF).
Recommendation #4
ICAO’s vision for the sustainable future of aviation should result from multi-stakeholder cooperation, integrate States’ and the industry’s experience and learnings in the area of community engagement covering both the travelling public and airport communities, and be the subject of intense advocacy and communication efforts.
SUSTAINABILITY
Claude Hurley, Director, Environment & Flight Operations
Preparations are underway for ICAO’s Conference on Alternative Aviation Fuels, with the ICAO Council’s Climate & Environment Committee meeting held in August to map out possible outcomes. A draft working paper will be circulated to States and Industry in early September, ahead of the pre-CAAF/3 meeting to be held at ICAO at the end of September. Intent of the CAAF-related work is for the international community to agree on a strategy, and a framework, that will encourage and enable greater use of cleaner energy fuels, such as Sustainable Aviation Fuels, in line with last year’s agreement of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 reached at the ICAO's 41st triennial Assembly.
On the Flight Operations side, the All Weather Operations subgroup of the ICAO Flight Operations Panel met on the margins of the ICAO Air Navigation World conference, which itself discussed a number of topics of interest to business aviation, including those related to the (environmental ) Long Term Aspirational Goal, such as multi-regional trajectory-based operations, Performance-based Airport Operating Minima, Aerodrome Capacity and Resilience, Higher Airspace Operations, and NOTAM replacement.
The Advanced Air Mobility Study Group also met in August, with the goal to make progress on mapping out the work required to establish a harmonized international regulatory framework for the safe introduction of these rapidly evolving technologies.
IS-BAH
Terry Yeomans, Programme Director
Fundamentals workshop dates are set for 14/15 September, bookings can be made now via the website.
The IS-BAH programme will be represented at the NATA GHSS on 12/13 September in Fort Worth and the following week at the ICAO GHTF in Montreal.
The EASA NPA 2023-10x on RMT.0728 Ground Handling Requirements is open for consultation (comments due by the end of September 2023), GHSP and aircraft operators are strongly encouraged to contact their European IBAC Member associations for further information and the opportunity to comment on the rulemaking process.
The FAA issued SAFO 23006 to inform aircraft operators under Title 14CFR Parts 91, 91K, 121, 125, 129 and 135 about the importance reviewing and/or revision of Aircraft Towing/Ground Handling Procedures for the Safety of the Wing and/or Tail Walkers.
IS-BAO
Andrew Karas, IS-BAO Programme Director
IS-BAO team member, Stephane DeWolf represented IBAC at ICAO Headquarters during Air Navigation World 2023, Montreal, Canada 28-31 August. This event addressed key issues and technologies in air navigation and safety. For the topics discussed, check out the event program here: ANW 2023 programme V15.pdf (icao.int)
Updates to the IS-BAO Guidance Material are being finalized and will be released in the next couple weeks. Operators, auditors and IS-BAO portal subscribers should receive a notification when the document has been released. The IS-BAO Guidance Material is available to assist users in understanding the standards, components, principles and how they are audited.
The next edition of the IS-BAO Ramp Inspection bulletin will be released late Sep/early Oct. The IS-BAO team recently received another batch of inspection data from authorities and will continue to highlight typical findings and safety related items to educate operators on the inspection process. Registered Operators, Auditors and IS-BAO Portal subscribers can find the bulletin in their portal account at: Login to the IBAC Portal
SafetyNet Webinars have been updated at Webinars & Videos | International Business Aviation Council (IBAC). Special thanks to MedAire for recently discussing Operational Resiliency and Polaris Aero for Safety Promotion. More SafetyNet webinars are scheduled for the coming months.
The next IS-BAO Progressive Stage 3 Roundtable is scheduled for Thursday 21 September at 0900 PT. We will have an operator led discussion on Sustainable Aviation Fuel with representatives from Bombardier, 4AIR and Jet Aviation.
IS-BAO Workshops for the rest of 2023 have been scheduled. For scheduling and registration go to: International Business Aviation Council | Workshops (ibac.org)
Congratulations to the ICAO Safety Management Panel (SMP). Last week, this group received the International Award by the International System Safety Society. The award is presented annually to a person, group, or organization for outstanding achievement or special service in the advancement of the system safety discipline worldwide. IS-BAO team members actively contribute to the vital work of this important ICAO panel.
VISIT THE IBAC STORE
We've added IBAC Swag, available to those who want to promote IBAC, and the IS-BAO, IS-BAH Programmes. Visit the store today.! (note that IS-BAO and IS-BAH Registered organizations may choose to order items with official Stage seals through there IS-BA portal or contact comms@ibac.org for access.)
