S.T.A.R.S. has been initiated by young business aviation professionals from half a dozen companies in Europe who want to take a holistic approach to sustainability, going beyond emissions reductions and extending the concept to include social topics such as  workplace diversity, gender equality and inclusion.

“It’s very ambitious what these young people have done,” said EBAA Secretary-General Athar Husain Khan, noting that sustainability in the broad sense is the biggest challenge facing Business aviation today.

The pilot S.T.A.R.S. program in Europe is now underway, and early participants have devised a three-tier program of goal-setting, progress monitoring and full implementation. They are working toward the development and introduction of industry-wide sustainability standards and an accompanying label.

Key to the programme’s accomplishment will be the linkage of the S.T.A.R.S. to the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) , and the International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH), two global codes of best practices produced by the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC).

IBAC Director General Kurt Edwards said, “We look forward to having the STARS sustainable and social practices connected to the premier industry standards for operations and ground handling as these actions align with the ICAO Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) . This programme will certainly contribute to a better future for business aviation and the communities we serve.”

At EBACE2022, the program’s participants will outline its schedule, which includes completion of the current pilot program by July, a progress audit in September and final feedback in October. Approximately 10 organizations may achieve full Tier 3 S.T.A.R.S. status by 2025.