In October 2022, The Wicks Group, LLC (TWG) completed a year-long mission to provide technical assistance to the Bahrain Civil Aviation Affairs (BCAA), the civil aviation authority (CAA) of the Kingdom of Bahrain, as it prepared for an audit from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under its International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program. A Category 1 rating under the program is required for Bahraini air carriers to begin direct flights between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United States.
During its twelve months assisting the BCAA, TWG’s scope of services included drafting regulatory revisions and developing more comprehensive aviation safety inspector procedures and related industry guidance materials, which involved the review of over 100,000 pages of manuals. Additionally, TWG assisted with strengthening operator certification and authorization procedures and records and helping the BCAA ensure that its aviation safety surveillance and safety problem resolution practices meet international standards.
TWG also provided specialized training courses for aviation safety inspectors, which were attended by both civil aviation and industry personnel. In a TWG first, these training courses were conducted entirely via Zoom, with a total of 24 courses being held remotely. The courses covered a variety of topics, focusing on Personnel Licensing, Operation of Aircraft, and Airworthiness of Aircraft.
In addition to conducting both training and support remotely, TWG also conducted a two-week on-site visit to Manama, Bahrain in September to support corrective implementation. This visit included collaboration with BCAA staff at their offices, as well as a visit to the Gulf Aviation Academy.
Established in 1999 and based in Washington, DC, The Wicks Group has a lengthy record of providing technical assistance to CAAs worldwide, including those of India, Panama, Cabo Verde, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, and Trinidad and Tobago. In all, ten FAA Category 1 ratings have been issued to TWG IASA technical assistance clients to date – a 100% track record. TWG also regularly assists foreign air carriers with obtaining the US government approvals needed for US air carrier operations and foreign repair stations with securing FAA certification required to maintain US-registered aircraft.
For more information about The Wicks Group, please contact Glenn Wicks at gpwicks@wicks-group.com.