Only Blue
Leadership in Hawaii Air-Tour Safety
Hawaii’s air-tour leader for 39 years, and the only helicopter tour company that serves the entire state, Only Blue Hawaiian has an approved and accepted voluntary FAA Safety Management System (SMS), just like all major airlines, along with numerous other industry-leading safety programs and practices. Blue Hawaiian is also guided by an executive management team dedicated to Continuous Process Improvement. In Hawaii, Only Blue is the leader in air-tour safety.
Only Blue: Has a Voluntary FAA Safety Management System (SMS) implementation program accepted and approved - May 18, 2015. Key points:
- Safety Performance Indicators (SPI) and Targets
- Has the highest number of a voluntary participant in the FAA Safety Team program (FAAST). Aviation maintenance technicians awarded annually
- Conducts Annual Safety Training for all employees
- Has an Emergency Response Plan (ERP) - tested February 2023
- Has a solely dedicated, highly qualified, Director of Regional Safety (DRS) trained in safety management systems; every Blue Hawaiian base is audited by the DRS, every quarter
- Continuous improvement in employee open-reporting culture, safety committees, and safety culture
- Most intense audits for pilots and maintenance teams in Hawaii
- Department audits every two weeks: operations, maintenance, ground operations
- Every base evaluated every six months by external auditors, including: FAA, Department of Defense, TOPS, and ISBAO (International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations) Level 3
Only Blue: Has a Voluntary FAA Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) accepted and approved – Nov. 13, 2017
Only Blue: Is a member of the Tour Operators Program of Safety (TOPS) – audited September 2023
- TOPS requires all pilots to be instrument rated and trained in instrument maneuvers
- TOPS requires aircraft to have equipment that allows for instrument training, and recovery in an Inadvertent Entry Into Instrument Meteorological Conditions encounter
Only Blue: Have helicopters upgraded with the newest GARMIN glass-cockpit avionics, displaying synthetic terrain awareness to pilots. A major safety benefit while flying in Hawaii’s terrain.
Only Blue: Requires the highest pilot-hour minimum in the state of Hawaii.
Only Blue: Incorporates a guaranteed salary into our pilots’ pay. This puts less pressure on pilots to fly in order to make their income, and allows them to make flight decisions not predicated on hours flown.