Metro Aviation takes safety to the next level, achieving FAA SMS Level IV status

SHREVEPORT, La., 24 Feb. 2014. Metro Aviation has achieved Level IV of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) Safety Management System (SMS) pilot project.

Level IV is the highest level of the program, and Metro Aviation is one of only three organizations in the United States operating under 14 CFR 135 rules to achieve this milestone, according to a company representative.

The program provides a four-level system to acknowledge development of a formal SMS that meets FAA expectations and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.

“Metro Aviation has consistently gone beyond the traditional regulatory minimums and the goal of our SMS is to establish a level of safety in our organization that continues to set new standards,” says Metro Aviation Director of Safety Tarek Loutfy.

In addition to implementing SMS, Metro Aviation has embraced safety recommendations made by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to helicopter operators, including the newly released Safety Alert on the use of simulators. Metro has provided simulator training to its pilots for more than five years and is now a resource for others in the industry.

Metro is also committed to establishing an active SMS for their Part 145 Repair Station, officials say. “The SMS will provide a uniform way of handling maintenance safety practices and procedures to ensure that all employees and management are on the same page,” explains Managing Director Milton Geltz.

Metro Aviation volunteered to participate in the FAA’s program in 2010. Despite having achieved the highest level in the program, Metro will continue to research and implement hazards and solutions in an effort to operate in the safest way possible.