9. What should buyers ask about safety management before the 2027 implementation deadline?

Put this to: Andrew Day and Marcela White.

Why it matters now: FAA guidance gives Part 135 operators certificated before 28 May 2024 until 28 May 2027 to implement the required safety management system. Other applicant situations have different timelines, including implementation upon certification. As of this document’s date, the existing-operator deadline is still in the future. (faa.gov)

Question: “What evidence would show that an operator’s safety management system influences real decisions rather than merely producing a manual?”

A good answer should cover:

• Which implementation timeline applies to that operator.
• Accountable leadership and a defined implementation or maintenance process.
• How employees report hazards and how reported issues are assessed.
• An anonymised example of a resulting operational change.
• Evidence that corrective actions are followed through and reviewed.

Follow-up: “Describe a decision where safety management caused you to reject, delay or redesign a customer mission. What did the customer learn, and what changed internally?”

Buyer control: ask the same maturity questions of large and small operators without assuming that size, a purchased software platform or an audit badge answers them.

Publication boundary: do not label an operator non-compliant simply because it is still implementing an SMS before its applicable deadline. Equally, do not present a plan as proof of implementation.

Expert quote: [Pending interview, attribution and approval.]