All of Duncan Aviation's FBO locations recently completed and passed the comprehensive safety audit required for Stage III of the International Safety for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH) accreditation. As a result, the company's FBOs in Lincoln, Nebraska; Battle Creek and Kalamazoo, Michigan; and Provo, Utah join the ranks of only three other FBOs in the US and 16 worldwide that meet Stage III certification standards, none of which perform large-scale MRO to the extent of Duncan Aviation.

"It was a pleasure to work with the Duncan Aviation team on their audit to IS-BAH Stage III,” says Wyvern senior director of audit programmes Allison Markey. “The organisation is well-deserving of this high honour, and I am honoured to have participated in this important audit. Duncan Aviation's professionalism and enthusiasm, as well as preparedness for the audit process and the IS-BAH programme, is commendable.”

The IS-BAH certification shows aircraft operators and flight departments that Duncan Aviation has a culture that promotes safety and is centred on a safety management system (SMS). Stage III is the highest level of SMS that can be obtained at this time, and verifies that safety management activities are fully integrated into the business and that a positive safety culture is being sustained. To maintain this highest level of certification, Duncan Aviation will need to have safety audits conducted every three years.

“The safety of customers and team members is a core value at Duncan Aviation, and the IS-BAH certification demonstrates that safety is not just a goal, but a daily practice,” says Lincoln-based FBO services manager Troy Hyberger. “We are very proud of our FBO services teams at all of our locations for their dedication to safety and desire to actively mitigate risk on a daily basis, enabling our leadership team to make immediate changes, if needed, to improve ramp safety.”

This sentiment was echoed by Bob Cornett, the FBO services manager for Duncan Aviation's Provo location: “I am very proud to be associated with our Duncan Aviation FBO enterprise, which is full of dedicated individuals who continue to innovative, push boundaries and never back down from a challenge. This is what makes being a part of Duncan Aviation so rewarding. The past five years have seen an already tight enterprise team between all of our FBO locations grow closer, support one another and push each other to be even better.”

Kalamazoo and Battle Creek FBO services supervisor Trent Zwiers agrees: “The Duncan Aviation FBO teams committed to continued improvement over the last three years to earn this accreditation. We have created a lot of change in our operations that was embraced by our teams at all levels. Without their daily engagement with the SMS, our safety culture would be nothing more than a concept, and we are extremely proud of their accomplishments.”

Duncan Aviation's FBO line service amenities include 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, NATA Safety 1st certified representatives and certification to NATA's Sustainability Standard. The company has also earned the NATA Sustainability Standard.