With the growth of air transport, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recognizes the need to adopt new measures to support continuous improvement in aviation safety. The FAA also seeks to ensure that U.S. aviation safety regulations are consistent with the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) standards and recommended practices, specifically Annex 14, Volume 1 (Aerodrome Design and Operations) which required member states to have certificated international airports establish an SMS. As such, the FAA intends to implement SMS at U.S. airports in a way that complements Part 139 requirements.
FAA History with Rulemaking
On October 7, 2010, the FAA issued the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for the Safety Management System for Certificated Airports which required certificate holders to establish a SMS for the entire airfield environment, including movement and non-movement areas, to improve safety at airports hosting air carrier operations. Based on industry feedback, pilot studies, and internal analysis, the FAA issued a Supplemental Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on July 14, 2016, amending its proposal to require an SMS only for a certificated airport classified as a small, medium, or large hub airport in the National Plan of Integrated Airport Systems; serving international air traffic; or having more than 100,000 total annual operations.
While it is still unknown when the FAA will issue the Final Rule, it is imperative for relevant airports to understand the foundations of the rule that has been in the making for over a decade and act swiftly to proactively implement a compliant SMS.
SMS Overview
The FAA defines SMS as a formal approach to managing an organization's safety through four key components – safety policy, safety risk management, safety assurance, and safety promotion.
Safety policy defines the methods, processes, and organizational structure required to achieve safety goals. The main aspect of safety policy is establishing a reporting system to promote the submission of hazards and incidents.
Safety risk management involves the identification of hazards and the assessment of the associated risk. This allows for the establishment or revision of risk controls.
Safety assurance comprises of evaluation of overall SMS processes to ensure effectiveness of processes and compliance with requirements. Safety assurance activities include conducting audits, evaluations, inspections, and investigations to obtain insight and identify opportunities to improve safety.
Safety promotion focuses on actions that create and promote a positive safety culture. This includes providing SMS training, increasing familiarity and awareness of organizational safety policies, sharing safety lessons learned, and strengthening the safety culture by engaging staff at all levels of the workforce.
SMS Importance for Airports
With the proposed implementation of SMS, the FAA seeks to integrate proactive hazard identification and risk-management based principles into the day-to-day operations at airports. This will allow airports to detect and correct safety problems before they result in aircraft accidents or incidents. Safety should be treated as a core business function at airports. An emphasis on safety can help airports realize cost savings associated with incidents, improve employee productivity, establish a marketable reputation, and promote continuous improvement of operational processes.
Proactive Adoption of SMS and Benefits of SMS Software
Change doesn’t occur overnight. When the FAA issues the Final Rule, airports will be given a limited time to implement a compliant SMS. With adequate preparation and proactive adoption of SMS, airports can minimize the time and efforts needed to meet FAA requirements. If airports proactively integrate SMS processes in their operations, the implementation of a formal SMS in compliance with the FAA’s rule may not require major changes; it may only necessitate solidification of the existing policies and processes. Moreover, proactive adoption of SMS will allow airports to yield the benefits sooner. Several airports, including Salt Lake City International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, and South Bend Regional airport, got a head start on implementing SMS through participation in the FAA pilot studies. They have since extended their SMS program after realizing its benefits and in efforts to maintain robust SMS practices in preparation for the Final Rule.
SMS software can support and streamline safety management processes at airports. SMS software allows airports to capture and distribute real-time safety data to proactively identify hazards and mitigate risks. Robust SMS software provides analytics, allowing airports to retrieve insight from day-to-day operational data to identify potential risks and reduce the likelihood of an occurrence. Flexible SMS software can adapt to the airport’s needs based on its scale of operations, unique business processes, and FAA requirements, as well as accommodate evolving airport and industry needs. Comprehensive SMS software addresses the four key components of SMS software in an integrated platform for seamless connectivity of data, providing a holistic overview of safety data in an enterprise safety management system. With the help of advanced SMS software, airports can seamlessly implement SMS prior to the release of FAA’s final rule and swiftly refine their processes for compliance.
