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Issue link: http://airportbusiness.epubxp.com/i/618921
INDUSTRY INSIDER 28 airportbusiness December 2015/January 2016 bility of a line operator backing my airplane into a hanger, or into another airplane, than I do of hitting another airplane in flight. WHY AREN'T MORE FBOS IS-BAH CERTIFIED? The IS-BAH program is fairly new. American Aero was the first FBO in the Western Hemisphere to achieve IS-BAH Level I. The parent organization for American Aero has been IS-BAO Level III, which is the highest rating you can achieve, for nine years or so. We were one of the very first to reach Level III. We had developed policies and programs prior to the inception of IS-BAH, so our transi- tion to the new international standard was rea- sonably easy. Other FBOs have been slower to adopt IS-BAO and now IS-BAH. Remember, an FBO is a commercial enterprise, so anything that's viewed by some organizations as increasing overhead is generally not embraced very rapidly. At American Aero, we believe that the cost of training, policy development and policy adherence is more than offset by the potential for damage to aircraft, insurance claims or injury to personnel. I think some FBO operators view this as just another expense. But I assure you, that for the amount of expense that is incurred, the benefits far outweigh the cost. Consider this: In the industry, the standard is to have three people—two wing walkers and somebody on the tug—to move an airplane. But FBOs do not always adhere to that. I've seen $50 million airplanes being towed with one person, and they drove the wing into the side of a build- ing. Then there's $6-7 million damage because they had one guy doing the work of three. We have serious things happening at FBOs—fueling, deicing, servicing—but there seems to be a lack of intellectual awareness in the aviation business that says, "Look, if all of these strategies designed to protect aircraft passengers and crew are effective, why do they stop when the airplane parks at an FBO? We have very serious things taking place at FBOs: Fueling, deicing, servicing. WHY DID AMERICAN AERO PURSUE IS-BAH CERTIFICATION? IS-BAH seemed like a natural fit from the start. Our parent company has been IS-BAO Level III for nearly nine years so it just seemed like a logical progression. We have a bright young general manager in Riggs Brown, who leads a team of customer-oriented staff members eager to embrace this accreditation and worked dili- gently to make it happen. I also believe it gives our FBO a competitive edge. If pilots are landing at an airport with mul- tiple FBOs, and one is IS-BAH certified, and the others aren't, I can tell you where they are going www.aviationpros.com/11174155