All four Duncan Aviation FBOs have now earned IS-BAH Stage II accreditation. The facilities in Battle Creek and Kalamazoo in Michigan are the most recent to have earned certification; the company's facilities in Lincoln, Nebraska, and Provo, Utah, earned Stage II certification in May 2020.

The safety of its customers and team members is a core value at Duncan Aviation, and the IS-BAH certification demonstrates the company is making safety not just a goal but a daily practice.

IS-BAH, developed by IBAC, is a set of global industry best practices for business aviation ground handlers that feature robust SMS practices. Duncan Aviation's FBOs in BTL and AZO earned Stage II IS-BAH accreditation by having a physical audit from Mentair Group, an accredited IS-BAO auditor.

“The positive safety culture I observed for the BTL/AZO audit was easily validated by the number of reports provided to the Duncan Aviation safety management system by the majority of the Duncan Aviation line and customer service personnel and the positive attitude shown in the interviews from all levels of the staff there,” says Mentair Group auditor Nate Predoehl. “The audit went very well due to meticulous preparation, highlighting the widespread documentation of Duncan Aviation's policies and procedures. Duncan Aviation's commitment to safety is supported by excellent training for all levels of its well-qualified staff.”

The four-day audit process required the auditor to inspect the facilities at BTL and AZO and pose specific questions to team members regarding the safety culture at Duncan Aviation. Among many things team members were expected to know were where to find emergency response plans and safety documents and how to handle a bomb threat or an active shooter.

“This is a big accomplishment for FBO services and Duncan Aviation,” says manager of FBO services in Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Benjamin Hammond. “Our teams embody our safety culture every single day, and they're committed to the safety of their teammates, the facility and our customers. Their safety mindset has not only lowered incidents, but it's also bolstered our safety record over the last five years.”

Throughout this year and into 2022, Duncan Aviation will be preparing enterprise-wide for the rigorous Stage III accreditation process. There are only 27 FBOs in the world that have earned Stage III, and Duncan Aviation is currently the only FBO/MRO in the world that has any kind of IS-BAH certification.

“We are extremely proud of our FBO services teams in all of our Duncan Aviation locations for improving safety for our customers and team members as we continue through our IS-BAH stages,” says VP of customer service Doug Alleman. “Achieving Stage II accreditation means we're managing our SMS and we implement appropriate safety performance indicators and safety performance targets. Our safety culture has improved over the last few years because we've empowered team members to actively mitigate risk on a daily basis and record what they see, which helps our management teams make immediate changes when necessary to improve ramp safety.”

Duncan Aviation's line service in Battle Creek operates 24/7 and Kalamazoo is 24/7 scheduled, and each includes the following amenities: office space, conference rooms, pilot lounge, advanced weather planning and café service. Customers can also receive de-ice/pre-heat, GPU starts with fuel, baggage handling, on-site rental cars/courtesy cars, on-site fitness facilities, corporate hotel rates, quick turn service and NATA Safety 1st certified representatives.