While great service is a primary concern among air travelers, safety remains the highest priority. And when it comes to private jet companies, all operators are not created equal. In addition to meeting FAA standards, Jet Linx uses three independent aviation safety audit companies to review its policies, procedures and practices in order to qualify for top safety ratings. “There is a significant investment required for best-in-class safety, and it’s an ever-improving process,” says Jet Linx St. Louis base president Rich Ropp. “You’re always modifying and trying to better it. The FAA standards are just the minimum requirements for safety. You want to be way above that.”
ARGUS International is the worldwide leader in performing on-site safety audits for corporate flight departments, charter operators and commercial airlines. Jet Linx earned an ARGUS Platinum Safety Rating, the highest safety rating awarded to an operator. In 2000, the International Business Aviation Council initiated a project to create an industry code of practice for managing the safety, security, efficiency and effectiveness of a business aircraft operator. It developed the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO), a recommended code of best practices that has become a globally accepted ‘gold seal’ for business aviation operations attesting to the highest standards in safety and efficiency. The code consists of three stages, with Stage 3 being the highest. In 2009, Jet Linx earned IS-BAO certification and in 2015, it earned a Stage 3 rating. To further affirm its commitment to safety, the company also continues to be awarded The Wingman Standard from Wyvern, which provides objective assessments and reviews to determine compliance with best industry safety practices.
Jet Linx’s safety standards set the company apart, placing it in the top five percent of jet companies in the nation in operations as it relates to safety of flight. Flight crew training is as critical as the equipment itself.
“There’s always been risk associated with flight, but we’re in an era when airplanes are built very safely and efficiently and have very long life spans,” Ropp says. “The technology is unlike anything we’ve seen before. Now, the human factor is the biggest issue. Automation in the cockpit can lead to complacency. If the equipment fails, you have to know how to fly the plane.”
Jet Linx requires its crew members to receive flight safety training twice a year to keep the information fresh in their minds. Its pilots also receive initial training on the specific aircraft they will be flying, including ground school on aircraft systems and simulator training. After the training is complete, they must pass a check ride with an FAA flight inspector.
With the ultimate safety practices in place, Jet Linx can offer its clients the top-level service they expect from a private jet company through its Jet Card membership program, as well as full aircraft management service for private jet owners.
With access to 5,000 different airports, Jet Linx provides nonstop service wherever travelers need to go, including multiple stops in a day, getting them closest to their destination and saving time on ground transportation once they arrive. “I always say it’s the closest thing to a time machine that you’ll find,” Ropp says.
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