BARS Program Recognised in ICAO Global Aviation Safety Program

We are pleased that the Basic Aviation Risk Standard (BARS) has been recognised in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)’s Global Aviation Safety Program (GASP) 2020-2022.

In 2019, the BAR Standard was recognised by GASP, which is established by ICAO to target certain safety goals and initiatives in the world of aviation. The BAR Standard is a program developed by not-for-profit organisation Flight Safety Foundation, which sets an internationally recognised standard for the safety of aviation-related activities. You can read more about BARS in our BARS audit blog.

ICAO’s GASP is the organisation’s strategy to support “the prioritisation and continuous improvement of aviation safety”. It works alongside the Global Air Navigation Plan (GANP) to create the framework in which national and regional aviation plans are supposed to evolve. The aim is to ensure uniformity and co-ordination of the efforts to improve global civil aviation. ICAO says that the fundamental aim of GASP is to “continually reduce fatalities, and the risk of fatalities, by guiding the development of a harmonised aviation safety strategy, regional aviation safety plans and national aviation safety plans.”

In it plan for 2020-2002, GASP promotes implementing a state oversight system for each member State. This is a risk-based method of managing safety. The idea is that each member State is to develop its own national aviation safety plan (NASP) to align with the GASP.

How is BARS implemented in ICAO’s Global Aviation Safety Program?

BARS is specifically recognised in GASP’s Target 5.2, which aims to increase the world’s service providers participating in industry assessment programmes that are recognised by ICAO.

Amongst these programs include Airport Council International’s Airport Excellence (APEX) in Safety programme, the Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) Standard of Excellence in Safety Management Systems, the the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) and – now – the Flight Safety Foundation’s BAR Standard.

The Program recognises “the benefits of these programmes, which have a positive effect on operational safety among service providers”.

BARS is specifically mentioned again in Phase 2 of the Program’s component of developing a safety oversight framework for industry, where BARS is seen to play an important role in improving industry compliance with aviation regulations.

BARS will therefore play an critical part in moving towards GASP’s aspirational safety goal, which is to “achieve and maintain zero fatalities in commercial operations by 2030 and beyond”.

You can download the full 2020-2022 GASP on ICAO’s website.