The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) recently conducted its annual International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH) standards board meeting, where it virtually introduced the members for 2020-2021. Board members from around the world participated, including the new chair, Allison Markey, from Wyvern and the new vice chair, Marc Pieters, with Jet Aviation EuMEA.

Terry Yeomans, IS-BAH programme director, says: “Typically we meet annually in Geneva during the EBACE event, but unfortunately we had to go to a virtual format this year. The IS-BAH standards board is delegated responsibility by the IBAC governing board for the content of the standards themselves. Suggested improvements are received throughout the year from industry users, and from upcoming changes identified by IBAC within the ICAO SARPs. The standards board consists of a wide range of currently active professionals in the ground handling service provider sector, showing they are truly industry-driven standards.

“I thank the outgoing chair Joseph Azzaz of Sky Valet, St Tropez Aeroport, for his contributions over the previous two years and welcome this new leadership team of Allison and Marc. The ongoing support of these leaders, the other 14 members, those who attended as observers this year and the entire IBAC team, is critical to the ongoing success of the IS-BAH programme in promoting safer operations for us all. I thank the entire team for going above and beyond to support and voluntarily participate in the future of IS-BAH, and I look forward to continued collaboration with them all.”

Markey adds: “I have been involved with the IS-BAH programme since attending the first class in North America. As such, I have great respect for the IS-BAH programme and the entire IBAC team. I am excited to serve as chair for the standards board and honoured to represent the hundreds of ground handling companies around the world that work hard every day to be a registered IS-BAH organisation. The IS-BAH programme is one that I believe in because I have seen it work to transform organisations into ones that have safety performance as a common goal and culture.”

The IS-BAH programme has registered more than 230 different locations globally since its inception in 2014 and is designed to enhance the safety and efficiency of business and general aviation ground handling service providers (GHSP). As a voluntary programme, IS-BAH is the first industry standard to bring the SMS concept to ground handling and will enable handlers to meet ICAO SMS requirements.

The 2020-2021 IS-BAH standards board members include: Allison Markey; Marc Pieters; Joseph Azzaz of Sky Valet St Tropez airport; Chris Barrow, Hong Kong Business Aviation Centre (HKBAC); Jennifer Bartenstein, Signature Flight Support; Alain Champannois, JetEx Dubai; Gary Dietz, AT&T Flight Operations; Benjamin Goodheart, Magpie Human Safety Systems; Paula Kraft, Da Vinci/Tastefully Yours; Leah Lenardic, Duncan Aviation; Stewart MacPherson, InterDel; Stuart Ochs, Sheltair; Bob Schick, TAC Air; Hannah Smith, Gama Aviation; Lou Sorrentino, AvMASSi and Kyle Quinn, Modern Aviation.