FAA Hosts Industry Day on Part 139 Airport Safety Management Systems

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) hosted an Industry Day on 'Part 139 Safety Management System (SMS) for Airports' on March 31st. The event, which was attended by nearly 900 participants, allowed FAA and industry experts to discuss the new rule that requires many Part 139 airport operators to establish an SMS program for the entire airfield environment. FAA provided an overview of the rule, answered questions during a live Q&A session, and hosted an industry panel discussion on what a successful SMS program might look like. Many of the questions that FAA addressed during its Q&A session were those that AAAE shared with the agency ahead of the Industry Day.

FAA has made a recording of the event available on YouTube, which can be viewed here. We wanted to provide an index and summary of the notable discussion points from the meeting. You can click on the times for each section to be taken to that portion of the recording. If you would like to read AAAE's summary and overview of the airport SMS final rule, please see our February 16 Regulatory Alert. 
 
• 00:30 - Welcome Remarks from Shannetta Griffin, P.E., Associate Administrator for Airports 

• 03:24 - Introductions from FAA's Office of Airport Safety and Standards; Overview of Industry Day 
 
• 14:56 - High-Level Overview of the Part 139 SMS for Airports Rule: FAA outlined the applicability of the rule to Part 139 airports, the three trigger categories for airports, the four main components of SMS, and the timeline for implementation. 
 
• 53:49 - Overview of FAA's External SMS Web Content: FAA highlighted its "External SMS (SMS for Part 139 Airports)" website as a valuable resource which will serve as a one-stop shop for information on the rule, including an updated Part 139 'Airport Certification Status' list, a Frequently Asked Questions document, and Advisory Circular 150/5200-37A, Safety Management Systems (SMS) for Airports, which serves as the agency's primary guidance document for both airports and airport certification safety inspectors. 
 
• 01:20:12 - Live Q&A with FAA: The live Q&A session addressed many questions from industry, including when FAA will begin accepting implementation plans for review, what airports with existing SMS programs should know for implementation plans, the expected timeframe for FAA to review these plans and the amended Airport Certification Manual (ACM) and/or SMS Manual, the timeline for training inspectors, whether FAA recommends developing an SMS manual or an amended ACM, how FAA will ensure consistency in reviews, and how FAA will incorporate SMS reviews into Part 139 inspections, among other issues. 
 
• 01:50:42 - SMS Industry Panel Presentations and Discussion: The industry panel featured representatives from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Delta Air Lines, Tyler Pounds Regional Airport, American Airlines, and Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. Presentations and discussion focused on the successful implementation of an SMS program, as well as how Part 121 air carriers have found success in managing such a program. Promoting collaboration among all airport stakeholders was a key talking point, as well as the importance of cultivating a safety culture within an airport's workforce by empowering employees with the knowledge to address and report hazards. 
               
Reminder: Key Deadlines for Final Rule. AAAE has developed a one-page chart for airports to view the categories of Part 139 airports subject to the rule's requirements and the timeline for each category to comply with the relevant regulatory deadlines. Throughout the implementation period, AAAE will be working very closely with our members, FAA, and industry partners to ensure airports have the resources and flexibility to implement an SMS program that is tailored to their unique operating environment and with as minimal burden as possible.