Australian FBOs Earn IS-BAH Stage 3 Certification

ExecuJet, part of the Luxaviation Group, recently achieved International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH) Stage 3 accreditation at two FBOs in Australia.

“To have the effectiveness of our safety regulation identified as part of a globally recognized accomplishment is a huge achievement for the team at ExecuJet and Luxaviation and reflects the hard work of our employees,” says Darren McGoldrick, vice president, ExecuJet Asia Pacific.

According to ExecuJet officials, these locations in Sydney and Melbourne are the first FBOs in Australia or New Zealand to secure Stage 3 accreditation and are the first in the company’s global network to achieve this status.

IS-BAH accreditation verifies the company’s safety management activities, McGoldrick explains. What’s more, IS-BAH further provides a platform for ExecuJet’s FBOs to test processes and ensure that the highest standards of safety are delivered on the ground.

“In sustaining a positive safety culture, IS-BAH demonstrates safety as not just a long-term goal, but a daily practice that is fully integrated into our business operation,” McGoldrick says.

He says the IS-BAH program has enforced a company-wide commitment to safety internally.

“Through the implementation of this enhanced safety culture, our front-line staff go to work knowing they work for a company that strives to find a better way to operate,” McGoldrick says. “In turn, this drives motivation and engagement, advancing our outstanding level of customer service and quality across our network. The knock-on effect of securing IS-BAH certification means that our community adheres to the highest standards in all aspects of the business aviation industry.”

Earning Stage 3 IS-BAH registration came with challenges. For example, shortly after ExecuJet’s Australian locations received Stage 2 registration, the COVID-19 pandemic brought regional lockdowns, uncertainty and stress, which slowed down the Stage 3 certification process.

“Asia Pacific, particularly Australia and New Zealand, implemented stringent border restrictions that limited people in the country from moving around as much as usual,” McGoldrick says. “However, the short-term safety regulations were necessary in minimizing the effects of the pandemic and have since been lifted, allowing us to continue with the IS-BAH auditing process.”

With Stage 3 IS-BAH certification at its FBOs at Kingsford Smith Airport in Sydney and at Essendon Airport in Melbourne, ExecuJet is expanding its presence in the region with the opening of a new terminal at Auckland International Airport in New Zealand with plans to begin IS-BAH registration at the facility in the coming months.

“A large focus for us over the next few years, will be working towards IS-BAH accreditation at Auckland International Airport to maintain a consistent safety culture across the Asia Pacific region,” McGoldrick says. “We hope that by leading an example in aviation safety, we can start implementing these standards more rigidly across our global FBO network.”