Expert Opinion
AINsight: Marketing Aviation Safety
A safety management system for operators not only can reduce risk but also expand business opportunities.

Safety management systems (SMS) promise to improve aviation safety and reduce the risk of accidents, while creating a safety culture that makes safety a top priority. In the U.S., both air charter operators and airlines fly the public for hire, but when it comes to adopting an SMS there is a huge gap.

According to the FAA, less than 2 percent of the nearly 2,000 charter operators in the U.S. have an SMS in place and another 8 percent are working on it. This contrasts with 100 percent of all airlines that have developed and implemented a comprehensive SMS. The main difference is that implementing an SMS is voluntary for charter operators, but the FAA has mandated it for airlines since 2015.

Stuart “Kipp” Lau
Contributor - Safety
About the author

Pilot, safety expert, consultant, and aviation journalist Stuart “Kipp” Lau writes about flight safety and airmanship for AIN.

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