Especially in today’s age, there are many reasons why it is beneficial to manage aviation safety with a formal safety management system (SMS). It demonstrates safety as a priority, realizes cost savings, and enhances customer confidence. 14 CFR Part 5-compliant SMS is also recognized by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

Safety is non-negotiable at Monmouth Executive Airport, and we trust that all our charter-operator tenants comply with the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) SMS rules, to everyone’s benefit. In this article, we take another look at the FAA SMS rules as they relate to Part 135 operators, and urge everyone to ensure your compliance is current or will be by the 2027 deadline.

Part 135 SMS Requirements: Charter, Air Tour, and Commuter Operators

On April 26, 2024, the FAA published updated SMS requirements for all Part 135 certificate holders, Part 91.147 air tour operators, and certain Part 21 certificate holders. The reason for this final rule is that the FAA determined that the presence of an SMS could have mitigated many accidents involving Part 135 operators. What are the requirements?

1. Create an SMS appropriate to the organization’s size, scope, and complexity and include, at a minimum, the following components: safety policy, safe risk management, safety assurance, and safety promotion.
2. Develop and implement an SMS that meets the requirements by May 28, 2027.
3. Submit a declaration of compliance to the FAA, in the acceptable format, no later than May 28, 2027. 

What Your Aviation Safety Management System Must Include

We need a safety management system in aviation operations to prevent accidents, injuries, and other negative outcomes of bad safety practices. 14 CFR Part 5 requires that the following four functioning components be included in an SMS.

Safety Policy	Safety Risk Management (SRM)
Establishes the commitment of senior management to continually improve safety. Defines the methods, processes, and organizational structure required to meet safety goals	A formal process that does the following: Describes the system Identifies hazards Assesses the risk Analyzes the risk Controls the risk
Safety Assurance (SA)	Safety Promotion
Evaluates the continued effectiveness of implemented risk control strategies. Supports the identification of new hazards.	Communication, training, and other activities that create a positive safety culture within all levels of the workforce.

FAA SMS Compliance Deadline 2027: Implementation Plans and Declaration

It is mandatory for all Part 135 operators to implement a safety management system. There are, however, exclusions for organizations with a single pilot solely responsible for the conduct and execution of safety operations functions. The details of the implementation timelines for Part 135 operators are as follows:  

Current Status	Deadline
Applicants on the Applicant List (per Notice 8900.728) before January 21, 2025.	May 28, 2027
Applicants in the Initial Certification Phase before May 28, 2024.	May 28, 2027
New Applications submitted on or after May 28, 2024.	Upon certification
Applications in Preapplication Phase on or before May 28, 2024.	Upon certification
Operators certificated before May 28, 2024.	May 28, 2027

SMS Declaration of Compliance FAA Operators Must Submit

Part 135 operators must develop and implement an SMS program that is compliant with 14 CFR Part 5 before submitting a declaration of compliance. This declaration is the culmination of the safety management system compliance process and must contain the following:

• Name of the aviation organization and its certificate number (if applicable).
• Physical address of the aviation organization
• Statement that the aviation organization developed and implemented an SMS that meets the requirements of 14 CFR Part 5.
• Signature of the accountable executive or another senior management member. 

How This Impacts NJ Charter Companies Operating from Monmouth

Everyone benefits when the NJ aircraft charter services offered by Part 135 operators based at Monmouth Executive Airport are enhanced with an FAA-compliant safety management system. An SMS provides a structured framework for incident reporting and analysis that allows us to identify and mitigate potential safety issues before they escalate. It promotes a strong safety culture at Monmouth across all operational levels, while our regulatory compliance enables us to continue doing business to our affirmed standards. 

Is your Part 135 operation 14 CFR Part 5 compliant? Contact Monmouth today to discuss how we can work together to achieve compliance.