How to Set Up an ASAP Program for Your Part 135 Charter Operation

The Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) is a voluntary safety reporting program that allows employees to report safety concerns without fear of FAA enforcement action. Reports are reviewed by an Event Review Committee (ERC) that determines corrective actions.

For Part 135 operators, ASAP is the most effective way to build the non-punitive reporting culture that the SMS mandate requires. It converts near-misses into safety improvements instead of hiding them.

Setting up an individual ASAP program requires an FAA Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), legal support, and administrative infrastructure that can cost $60,000 or more. The Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) solved this by creating a consortium ASAP.

Through the ACSF consortium, small operators join a shared ASAP program with established ERC procedures and FAA MOUs already in place. This reduces the barrier to entry from $60K+ to an affordable annual membership fee.

An employee submits a safety report through the ASAP system. The Event Review Committee — composed of representatives from the operator, the FAA, and a third party — reviews the report and determines corrective action.

If the report meets ASAP acceptance criteria (filed within 24 hours, does not involve intentional violations, and is not related to substance abuse), the reporter receives protection from FAA enforcement for the reported event.

ASAP directly satisfies the Safety Promotion and Safety Assurance pillars of SMS. ASAP report data feeds into your Safety Risk Management process, providing real operational hazard data that you cannot get from any other source.

When implementing SMS under the 2027 mandate, having an established ASAP program demonstrates to your FSDO that your safety culture is already operational — not just documented.

Track ASAP corrective actions as compliance tasks in Navlyt Compliance to maintain the audit trail your SMS requires.