Safety and Quality is a cornerstone of the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) (Queensland Section) values and its commitment to the highest operational standards has again been recognised with stage three re-accreditation under the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO)
This global achievement highlights the RFDS’s industry-leading and deeply embedded safety and operating practices.
Launched in 2002, the IS-BAO was developed by the business aviation community to promote use of high quality operating practices by:
- Establishing a framework for effective safety and operational processes
- Providing tools to facilitate the implementation of best practices
- Delivering a Safety Management System (SMS) appropriate to all operational profiles.
The globally recognised standard is voluntary and helps operators review and compare their safety-related policies, processes and procedures and make improvements in key areas.
RFDS (Queensland Section) General Manager Aviation Training and Standards, Shane Lawrey, said the organisation made the decision in 2015 to undertake a rigorous process of positioning operations as an industry leader in safety and compliance.
“We achieved stage 1 accreditation in late 2017 and worked hard towards stage 2 accreditation, achieving that in March 2019,” Shane said.
“We subsequently met stage 3 accreditation in 2021 and we have now received our re-accrediation for stage 3 in 2023 and now subsequently in 2026. Stage 3 certification verifies that safety management activities are fully integrated into the RFDS business with sustainment of a positive safety culture.
“The RFDS (Queensland Section) is one of the few aviation business operators to consecutively achieve stage 1, 2 and 3 accreditations in the world.
As the sole RFDS Section to hold this accreditation, it’s a credit to the team who work so hard to ensure what we deliver day to day is of the highest possible standard.”
RFDS (Queensland Section) Aviation Safety Manager Steve Zappala said IS-BAO Stage 3 is about showing how safety management is fully embedded into the organisation’s culture so it becomes part of everything we do.
“It’s about showing that our practices are consistent, proactive and sustained,” Steve said.
“We don’t want to just do one or two things well, safety is how we function and it’s visible across all levels of staff, not just pilots and flight nurses.
“This certification is about demonstrating continuous improvement and not just compliance, we’re constantly identifying hazards, managing risk effectively and using data trends to improve safety.”
“This global accreditation is recognised by regulators and industry bodies and helps to enhance the RFDS (Queensland Section) reputation and credibility with our health stakeholders and the broader aviation industry.”
