United Technologies Corporation’s flight department recently received a Certificate of Registration from the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) for the second stage of the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operation (IS-BAO). The UTC flight department is only the second operator to achieve that level of registration under the new helicopter standard that was added to IS-BAO registration at the beginning of this year.

Second stage registration means that an operator not only has a safety management system (SMS) in place, but that the SMS is fully implemented and being adhered to.

UTC Chief Pilot and HAI Board Member Anthony Burson said pursuing the second-stage IS-BAO registration allowed the flight department to refine its safety program, using it as a tool to increase professionalism throughout the organization. And, he said, it allows the flight department to align its safety program with other corporation-wide standards of excellence, such as ISO and Company Quality Programs.