In Face of Barriers, SMS Is Picking Up Steam | Aviation International News

In Face of Barriers, SMS Is Picking Up Steam

Questions surround small operator adoption and FAA resources

NTSB investigating midair collision near KDCA — NTSB investigators document aircraft wreckage from the midair collision near KDCA.

By Kerry Lynch • Editor, AIN monthly magazine

May 1, 2025

A year after the FAA released its final rule mandating charters, air tours, and manufacturers to adopt safety management systems (SMS), industry leaders are starting to see interest pick up from affected operations in part as they seek to lay the groundwork to come into compliance. But, in addition to a drive for compliance, they also began seeing an uptick for an unexpected reason—the people in the back of the aircraft.

The agency on April 26, 2024, mandated SMS for Part 135, air tour operators, and manufacturers (those with a type and production certificate), establishing a deadline of May 28, 2027, for compliance. That is the date when operators must submit their declaration of compliance, meaning they have SMS fully implemented.

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