Paradise Helicopters Awarded Top International Aviation Safety Recognition

The Kona-based helicopter-tour company is the first in Hawai‘i to earn IS-BAO™ Stage Three registration

Paradise Helicopters, a leading Hawai‘i helicopter tour company, has earned the highest level of registration available from the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO™). The company is the first and only IS-BAO Stage Three operator in Hawai‘i, meeting the aviation industry’s most stringent safety requirements.

IS-BAO Stage Three is the final step in a multi-year process that recognizes the use of high-quality safety operating practices for business aircraft. Launched in 2002 by the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC), which is comprised of 14 member associations, IS-BAO centers on the development of an effective Safety Management System (SMS). Audits are conducted every two years to ensure that strict standards and recommended practices are being followed.

• Stage One confirms that the SMS infrastructure is appropriately targeted;
• Stage Two ensures that safety risks are being effectively managed;
• Stage Three verifies that safety management activities are fully integrated into the operator’s business and that a positive safety culture is being sustained.

“Throughout our more than two decades in operation, Paradise has been committed to ensuring the highest safety and operational standards in the world,” said Calvin Dorn, CEO of Paradise Helicopters. “IS-BAO Stage Three registration includes requirements that surpass both Tour Operators Program of Safety (TOPS) and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations.”

There are four operators in Hawai‘i and more than 700 operators in 35 countries that are IS-BAO registered.

Paradise earned Stage Two IS-BAO registration in 2016, when the company was also selected to present its SMS at the 2016 CHC Helicopter Safety and Quality Summit in British Columbia. In addition, Paradise was the first air-tour company in the world to be certified by Helicopter Association International’s Accreditation Program of Safety (HAI-APS) for Air Tour Operations in 2016.

“Companies that earn an IS-BAO Stage Three registration have embedded the highest levels of safety and risk-management practices throughout their operations,” Bennet Walsh, director of the IS-BAO Programme. “IS-BAO is based on International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards and industry best practices that are developed for, and by, operators worldwide and exceed national aviation regulations.”

The company’s safety measures include:

• The operation of the only twin-engine helicopter (Bell 430) on the island of Hawai‘i for commercial use, allowing Paradise to further mitigate its overwater safety risk during inter-island flights;
• The use of an integrated aircraft tracking system that provides real-time flight tracking;
• Routine staff training on the Safety Management System, emergency response and safety risk management;
• Oversight of operations by a full-time and highly trained Director of Safety.

**About Paradise Helicopters **Founded in 1997, Paradise Helicopters is a leading provider of unique air tours and bespoke charters in Hawai‘i. The award-winning company is widely recognized for its industry-leading safety practices and exclusive tours. A wide selection of tours are offered from Kapolei West Oahu and Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu’s North Shore, through the Four Seasons Resort Lanai, and from Hilo and Kona on the Island of Hawai‘i; custom charters are available statewide; and specialty flights on an authentic WWII aircraft are available through Pearl Harbor Warbirds on Oahu. Visit paradisecopters.com or pearlharborwarbirds.com.

About IBAC: IBAC represents the interests of business aviation worldwide. IBAC is a nonprofit, international trade association with permanent observer status at the International Civil Aviation Organization, the UN Specialized Agency for aviation matters, in Montreal, Canada. IBAC promotes and manages the industry-leading standards for best safety practices through its International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO™); International Standard for Business Aviation Handling (IS-BAH™); Safety Management Tool Kit; SMS eLearning training; and Aircrew Identification Card. For more, visit www.ibac.org.