Ensuring you have an aviation policy in place is vital. When selecting operators to provide air transport it’s essential that the person requesting the charter understands the implications of their decisions. Without an aviation policy in place or specialist knowledge they can be providing a solution that may have unintended detrimental outcomes. There are two key points that must be considered when selecting an aircraft operator.
1. Price should not be the key-determining factor.
This is no different to any other business purchase as price does not provide a measure of quality. It can also be a signal to the level of service and quality. A good idea is to ask the operator why they are the cheapest.
2. Just because a company holds an Air Operators Certificate (AOC) and insurance they’re not necessarily the most suitable or correct choice for your task.
It’s a sad fact that every accident of a commercial flight in Australia has occurred with an operator holding an AOC and insurance. When regulatory audits are conducted and operating certificates are issued the scope is to ensure that they meet the defined standards and use a pass/fail assessment methodology.
The regulatory system acts as a barrier to entry for unprepared operators and does remove operators from the system that fail to maintain regulatory standards, but does it cover everything you should know? Probably not.
So back to the question, “Why have an aviation policy?”
The answer is simple, the regulations provide the baseline but just like any business decision it is your duty to exercise all due care and diligence in ensuring everything is appropriate for your own situation.
Having a company policy that specifies what you require for chartering an aircraft has been commonplace for many mining and resource companies for years with detailed standards being developed to ensure the management of their staff travel. These companies have identified that they require specific policies and standards that raise their level of comfort and reassurance for their staff travelling on aircraft.
Contact Adagold Aviation to understand more about creating your own aviation policy that will help your Directors manage their aviation risks.
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