Universal Flight Services Joins the Air Charter Safety Foundation and ASAP
The Air Charter Safety Foundation of Sarasota, Florida, to its roster of more than 200 member companies. The ACSF is a non-profit aviation safety organization that provides programs to enable the highest levels of safety in personal, charter and business aviation.
As a new ACSF member, Universal Flight Services and its crew members will be able to participate in the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP), which is administered by the ACSF in partnership with the Federal Aviation Authority. The ASAP makes use of employee input to identify significant safety concerns and issues, operational deficiencies, non-compliance with regulations, deviations from company policies and procedures, and unusual events. Each report is investigated, and corrective actions are determined based on a non-disciplinary approach to flight safety.
“Being based in Florida, our clients are eager to fly south—whether that’s to Key West or the Bahamas,” said Jacob Kyser, vice president and director of flight operations, Universal Flight Services. “The data we gain from the Aviation Safety Action Program will help us to identify hazards that might occur at the more remote airports we service. We intend to use the findings from our flight crews and other ASAP participants to make measurable changes. This includes incorporating data into our initial and recurrent training events, and merging ASAP data with our upcoming FOQA [Flight Operational Quality Assurance] program.”
While aviation safety programs are common in the Part 135 and Part 121 air carrier world, UFS’s participation in the ACSF’s Aviation Safety Action Program will “increase our safety margins and improve reliability” Kyser explained. “You can’t put a price on safety. The ASAP will help us run a safer operation.”
“On behalf of our growing membership, we welcome Universal Flight Services to the Air Charter Safety Foundation,” said Bryan Burns, ACSF’s president. “We are very much looking forward to UFS participating in ASAP Program and contributing their valuable data to the system.”
