FAA Mandates SMS for Charter Operators—Now What? | Aviation International News

FAA Mandates SMS for Charter Operators—Now What?

While the SMS rule has strong support, safety advisors caution on implementation

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By Stuart “Kipp” Lau • Contributor - Safety

September 3, 2024

The FAA now requires safety management systems (SMS) for all Part 135 operators, certain Part 91 air tour operators, and some type certificate and production certificate holders under Part 21. Part 135 operators include on-demand charter, commuter, and air ambulance operators. But for the operators, what does this mean? And are they ready?

The final rule was published on April 26, 2024. The number of affected organizations is significant, and now each has less than 36 months to comply with the new SMS mandate. The deadline for an operator to provide the FAA a Declaration of Compliance (14 CFR 5.9) is May 28, 2027. It’s important to note that from a regulatory compliance perspective, the Declaration of Compliance is the end of the SMS development and implementation process—not the beginning.

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