GE Aviation integrates C-FOQA with Polaris Aero Vector SMS

Global aviation leaders combine efforts to make flying safer

AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GE Aviation announced the integration of C-FOQA (Corporate Flight Operations Quality Assurance) with Polaris Aero’s safety management system - Vector SMS. This new integration with Polaris is a first of its kind in business aviation where information from flight data is automatically forwarded to another safety service provider (Vector SMS) using GE Aviation’s API (application programming interface). C-FOQA and Vector SMS have more than 400 combined customers today including part 91 operators, charter carriers, and other operators of business aircraft.

“We are thrilled to be integrating C-FOQA data into Vector SMS. This new capability streamlines the safety process and makes it easy for users to identify the underlying causes of safety events. By understanding the C-FOQA events and being able to link them to root causes in Vector SMS, flight departments can go from safety compliant to best-in-class”, said Chris Connor, co-founder and CEO of Polaris Aero.

FOQA (Flight Operations Quality Assurance), also commonly referred to as FDM (Flight Data Monitoring), is the process of analyzing and reviewing routinely recorded flight data. Operators that adopt FOQA are better able to identify and eliminate potential safety hazards in flight operations.

“This new integration saves time and reduces workload, ultimately improving the customer experience and allowing them to enhance safety in their organization,” said Ben Ivy, senior product manager for GE Aviation. “We know that business jet operators care about safety as much as anyone, and in most flight departments everyone juggles responsibilities and wears multiple hats. Our partnership with Polaris Aero enables operators to focus on what’s important with a comprehensive safety solution built specifically for business aviation professionals.”

SMS (safety management system) processes and methodology are a standard feature of any safety department. Aviation has specific SMS processes and standards that foster a culture where aviators are encouraged to learn from shared experiences in a non-punitive manner.

Launched in 2005 in partnership with the Flight Safety Foundation and now used by more than 300 operators globally, C-FOQA is GE Aviation’s premier service for helping business jet operators understand and improve safety. GE’s patented analytics software fuses meteorological information, navigation data, and terrain mapping to identify safety events and measurements on thousands of flights every day.

Released in 2013, Vector SMS is an app on Polaris Aero’s VOCUS Safety Intelligence platform. Designed to simplify complex safety processes, Vector SMS makes it easy to report, analyze, audit, and trend safety concerns. The built-in communication and administrative tools facilitate engagement with everyone in the organization to help ensure an organization never forgets a lesson learned.

Since its introduction to the airline industry more than 20 years ago, FOQA has been widely credited with reducing incident and accident rates at airlines where it has been adopted. In its 2017-2018 Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Enhancements, the NTSB encourages aircraft operators to improve safety oversight of their aircraft by routinely reviewing recorded flight data in a structured program such as C-FOQA.

About Polaris Aero

Polaris Aero, LLC is an aviation software company that specializes in risk analysis and safety management. Its cloud based VOCUS Safety Intelligence platform hosts various applications, including the flagship product FlightRisk, an advanced risk assessment system; and Vector SMS, an organizational safety management system (SMS). VOCUS is what safety should be – Simple, Meaningful, Seamless! www.polarisaero.com

About GE Aviation

GE Aviation, an operating unit of GE (NYSE: GE), is a world-leading provider of commercial and military jet engines, avionics, digital solutions and electrical power systems for aircraft. GE is the world's Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. With people, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for customers by speaking the language of industry. www.geaviation.com/digital