Is your operation ready for the FAA's 2027 SMS deadline?
Find out where you stand in 3 minutes.
270 days until the deadline · 12 questions · no signup required
2,563
operators covered — 1,848 Part 135 and 715 air tour
May 28, 2027
declaration of compliance due — no interim filing before it
25%+
of operators unprepared or barely started (VAI survey)
What the FAA expects you to have running
Safety policy
Accountable executive, code of ethics, emergency response plan
Safety risk management
Hazard identification, risk assessment, and controls
Safety assurance
Audits plus confidential, no-reprisal employee reporting
Safety promotion
SMS training and ongoing safety communication
The declaration isn't a plan — it certifies an SMS that already works.
Operators who wait for a filing milestone that never comes are the ones scrambling in 2027.
FAA SMS readiness quiz
Readiness question 1
Is one named executive accountable for safety — budget and staffing included?
Why it matters
§ 5.25 requires a single accountable executive with ultimate safety responsibility, control of financial and human resources, and their signature on the safety policy.