Bermuda’s Aviation Safety Audit Results Demonstrate Highest Commitment to Aviation Safety
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From left to right – Herman Tucker (BCAA Board of Directors), the Hon. Zane DeSilva JP, MP, Frédéric Prillieux (ICAO), Louis Opoku (ICAO), H.E. John Rankin CMG, John Glavind (ICAO) and Thomas Dunstan (BCAA)
The Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority (BCAA) is responsible for the regulation and safety oversight of aviation in Bermuda, and all aircraft on the Bermuda Aircraft Registry. Following an audit conducted by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in May of 2019, the BCAA has been awarded an overall score of 95.2% Effective Implementation (EI) for the areas audited. This score solidifies Bermuda’s excellent global reputation for high safety standards and a well-regulated Authority.
The ICAO is a UN specialised agency, established to manage the administration and governance of the Convention of International Civil Aviation. ICAO conducts audits of signatory States under its Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP). USOAP audits focus on a State’s capability in providing safety oversight by assessing whether the State has effectively and consistently implemented the critical elements of a safety oversight system and determining the State’s level of implementation of ICAO’s safety-related Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and associated procedures and guidance material.
The audit took place in Bermuda during the period of 6th – 16th May 2019 and consisted of a detailed review of BCAA’s safety oversight system by ICAO experts. Of the possible eight areas to be audited, ICAO chose to audit Bermuda in the five areas related to operator safety oversight, namely Legislation, Organisation, Personnel Licensing, Operations and Airworthiness.
Bermuda is the State of Registry for almost 800 aircraft operated under Article 83 bis Agreements. With the Article 83 bis Agreements established to date, Bermuda retains responsibility for the airworthiness of aircraft operated under such Agreements. Of particular importance to stakeholders is the effectiveness of Bermuda’s safety oversight programme as it relates to airworthiness and in this area, Bermuda achieved an Effective Implementation score of 99.2%, which represents the 7th highest score achieved in airworthiness out of 185 ICAO Member States audited to date.
The results from the USOAP Audit indicate that the BCAA has clearly demonstrated that it has established a highly effective safety oversight system.
About Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority (BCAA) –
BCAA offices and inspectors are strategically located around the world to ensure timely and effective safety oversight. In addition to inspectors based in offices in Bermuda and the United Kingdom, BCAA has engaged Bureau Veritas (BV) for many years to conduct inspections and oversight on its behalf, from offices based in Moscow and Shanghai.
The BCAA Director of Airworthiness and Airworthiness Inspectors are based in Bermuda and Farnborough, UK. These inspectors are assigned as Principal Maintenance Inspectors (PMIs) for the Article 83 bis safety oversight system. In addition to conducting inspections in the field, these inspectors also manage the certification and inspection programme.
BCAA contracts and trains Bureau Veritas (BV) to conduct inspections on its behalf. BV is a well-recognised safety oversight organisation whose services have been utilised by many regulatory authorities around the world. BV has an office in Moscow dedicated to the oversight of Bermuda-registered aircraft. In addition, there are BV airworthiness inspectors in Toulouse, France, who have been trained to carry out maintenance programme reviews and inspections of new aircraft.
BCAA maintains a world-class reputation for having established an effective safety oversight system. Additional information on the BCAA safety oversight system will be found at www.bcaa.bm
