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An aviation safety management system gives your people an easy way to report hazards, gives managers a structured way to assess and control risk and gives regulators clear evidence that it all works. We help airlines, charter operators, MROs and airports find SMS software aligned with ICAO Annex 19 and FAA Part 5.
An aviation safety management system (SMS) is a formal, organization-wide approach to managing safety risk, built on four pillars: safety policy, safety risk management, safety assurance and safety promotion. SMS software supports it with hazard and occurrence reporting, risk assessment, corrective actions, audits, safety performance indicators and training records.
Aviation is extraordinarily safe because the industry learns from every event, including the ones that almost happened. An SMS is how an organization does that systematically. People report hazards and occurrences without fear. Safety teams assess the risk, decide on controls and check that the controls work. Leadership monitors safety performance and acts on trends.
Doing that on paper or email quickly breaks down. Reports get lost, actions stall and evidence for auditors is scattered. SMS software brings it together: a simple reporting app, risk matrices and registers, action tracking, audit tools and dashboards. For US Part 135 and 91.147 operators facing the FAA Part 5 deadline, it is also the fastest route to demonstrating compliance.
Report it in a minute: hazard reports from the ramp and hangar go straight into risk assessment.
These six capabilities support each pillar of a working safety management system.
Fast, confidential reporting from phones and tablets, including anonymous options.
Risk matrices, hazard registers and mitigation tracking aligned with your SMS manual.
Assign, track and verify actions, with escalation when deadlines slip.
Internal audits, inspections and management of change, with evidence stored.
Dashboards and trends that show whether safety performance is improving.
Training records, safety bulletins and lessons learned shared across the organization.
Regulatory deadlines and rising traffic make proactive safety management essential.
In the US, the FAA’s Part 5 rule extends SMS requirements to virtually all Part 135 operators and Part 91.147 air tour operators, with full implementation required by May 28, 2027. Many operators are still early in that journey.
Globally, the industry flew tens of millions of flights in 2025 with a very low accident rate. Keeping it that way as traffic grows depends on catching hazards before they become accidents, which is exactly what an SMS is built to do.
Deadline for US Part 135 and 91.147 operators to have an FAA Part 5 SMS in place.
Accidents across 38.7 million flights in 2025, an all-accident rate of 1.32 per million.
Commercial aircraft in service in early 2026, with roughly 41,000 forecast by 2036.
These are the improvements safety managers report most often once their SMS runs on dedicated software.
“Every near miss is free advice. An SMS makes sure you take it.”
The Aero NextGen advisory principle
Easy, confidential reporting brings hazards to light before they cause harm, and report volume usually rises.
Standard risk matrices and registers make sure similar hazards are assessed and controlled the same way.
Tracked, escalated actions stop safety improvements stalling in someone's inbox.
Evidence for each SMS element is organized and ready for regulators and auditors.
Leaders see trends and indicators, so they can act on emerging risks.
Feedback on reports and shared lessons learned show people their reports matter.
SMS requirements and priorities differ across the industry. Pick your operation.
Airlines run mature SMS programs that integrate flight data monitoring, occurrence reports, audits and fatigue risk management across departments.
Charter and commuter operators need a right-sized SMS that meets FAA Part 5 by May 28, 2027, without overwhelming a small safety team.
MROs use SMS for workplace and maintenance error hazards, often combined with their QMS for one reporting and action system.
Airports and ground handlers manage ramp safety, ground damage and emergency response, with hazards reported by many organizations on site.
Many smaller operators still run safety on forms and spreadsheets. Here is what changes with dedicated SMS software.
| Area | Paper and spreadsheets | SMS software |
|---|---|---|
| Reporting | Forms that discourage reports | Fast, confidential mobile reports |
| Risk assessment | Inconsistent between people | Standard matrices and registers |
| Actions | Stall without follow-up | Tracked and escalated |
| Evidence | Scattered across files | Organized by SMS element |
| Performance | Hard to see trends | Live safety indicators |
| Culture | Reports disappear | Feedback closes the loop |
The fix: SMS software with Part 5 aligned templates and evidence tracking gives a clear path to implementation and a declaration of compliance.
The fix: simple, confidential mobile reporting and visible feedback on every report build a just culture where people speak up.
The fix: tracked corrective actions with owners, deadlines and escalation turn reports into real controls.
The fix: organizing evidence by SMS pillar and element makes regulator and customer audits straightforward.
SMS value is measured in incidents avoided, and the cost of one incident can be enormous.
Even one avoided damage event or injury can pay for an SMS many times over. Use the calculator to estimate the value of preventing a share of your incidents.
A working SMS grows in phases. These five stages follow the usual implementation path.
Compare what you do today against ICAO Annex 19 or FAA Part 5 requirements.
Publish a safety policy, name the accountable executive and define responsibilities.
Roll out an easy reporting tool and promise feedback on every report.
Set up the risk matrix and register, and assess hazards from reports and audits.
Monitor safety indicators, audit controls and share lessons learned.
Not sure which SMS fits your operation and deadline? The Solution Finder scopes it in about three minutes and matches you with vetted vendors.
SMS tools range from simple reporting apps to enterprise platforms. Use these criteria to pick the right level.
Confirm alignment with ICAO Annex 19, FAA Part 5 or EASA requirements that apply to you.
Reporting must take a minute on a phone, with confidential and anonymous options.
Look for configurable risk matrices, registers and management of change.
If you also run quality, one platform avoids duplicate reporting.
Check links to flight data monitoring, training and maintenance systems.
Include licenses, setup, manual templates and training.
Smaller operators benefit from vendors that help write the SMS manual and plan.
A sample of providers listed under safety management system (SMS), shown alphabetically. A listing is not an endorsement; the Solution Finder matches you on fit.
Monica Badra
Founder and CEO, Aero NextGen
Aero NextGen was founded by Monica Badra, who has spent more than a decade inside aviation translating real business needs into the right technology. That experience shapes how we approach the aviation safety management system: make reporting effortless, close every action and let the data show where risk is rising.
We are vendor-neutral. We do not resell software, and our matching is based on your operation, your systems and your budget. Our perspective on digital MRO and aviation technology has been featured across the industry press.
The questions aviation leaders ask us most before they start. Have one we did not cover? The Solution Finder routes it to the right expert.
It is a formal, organization-wide approach to managing safety risk, built on safety policy, safety risk management, safety assurance and safety promotion, supported by software for reporting, risk and actions.
ICAO requires SMS for many service providers, including operators, approved maintenance organizations, training organizations and airports. In the US, FAA Part 5 now extends to Part 135 and 91.147 operators.
US Part 135 and 91.147 operators covered by the expanded rule must have an SMS implemented and declare compliance by May 28, 2027.
An SMS manages safety risk. A QMS ensures work meets requirements consistently. Many organizations run both on one platform.
Make reporting quick and confidential, never punish honest mistakes and always give feedback on what happened with each report.
Not strictly, but managing reports, risks, actions and evidence on paper becomes unworkable quickly, especially for audits.
Software can be configured in weeks. A full SMS typically matures over one to three years as processes and culture develop.
Start with the free Solution Finder. It maps your safety program and deadlines and matches you to the right SMS software.
Standardize quality, CAPA and audits across every station.
Track findings, corrective actions and audit readiness in one place.
Plan, deliver and track crew and technician training in one system.
Real-time ramp, baggage and turnaround visibility at every gate.
Easy reporting, structured risk management and clear evidence for regulators in one platform. Start with the free Solution Finder to find the right aviation safety management system.
