NATA Announces New Air Charter Safety Initiative

NATA Safety 1st Management System For Air Charter Operators Is Unveiled At Teterboro Townhall Meeting

Alexandria, VA: Given the rash of high-profile air charter accidents recently, the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) has taken proactive steps to assist air charter operators improve safety.

NATA President James K. Coyne unveiled NATA's new Safety 1st air charter Safety Management System (SMS) at a townhall meeting in Teterboro today, to approximately 50 aviation businesses.

The new air charter SMS builds off of the extremely successful ground service SMS NATA launched in 2004.

The SMS approach involves five crucial steps to make safety a systematic part of business operations.  These steps include:

1 Senior management commitment

2 Creation of a comprehensive safety manual customized to each participating business

3 Web-based continuing education

4 Independent third party audits

5 Data collection and analysis

The air charter SMS initiative has been underwritten by Air BP; Avsurance; ChevronTexaco; ExxonMobil; Global Aerospace; Phillips 66 Aviation; Phoenix Aviation Managers, Inc; USAIG; XL Insurance; and W Brown Associates. Further details of the air charter SMS initiative are attached.

"As an industry committed to safety, it is important for us to look for ways to improve the already exceptional record of on-demand air charter," said Coyne. "Every day, hundreds of charter aircraft take to the skies of America and it is imperative that the operators of those flights have tools at their disposal to make them safer and more profitable.  The air charter SMS does both."

"By lowering the number of accidents, air charter operators will see a significant savings in insurance deductibles, and a decline in insurance rates over time," Coyne said. "In addition to cost savings, safer operation helps the entire industry to grow."

The program has the participation of some of the largest air charter operators, who are also strongly encouraging the participation of their vendors. These companies include:

• Executive Jet Management

• New World Jet

• Priester Aviation

• Frederick Aviation

• Million Air Salt Lake City

The National Air Transportation Association (NATA), The Voice of Aviation Business, is the public policy group representing the interests of aviation businesses before Congress, federal agencies and state governments.  NATA's 2,000 member companies own, operate and service aircraft.  These companies provide for the needs of the traveling public by offering services and products to aircraft operators and others such as fuel sales, aircraft maintenance, parts sales, storage, rental, airline servicing, flight training, Part 135 on-demand air charter, fractional aircraft program management and scheduled commuter operations in smaller aircraft.  NATA members are a vital link in the aviation industry providing services to the general public, airlines, general aviation, and the military.

dkidder@nata.aero