For the third consecutive year, the Idaho Falls Regional Airport (IDA) passed the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Safety Inspection with zero discrepancies – the highest rating a commercial airport can receive.

“For an airport to receive three perfect ratings in a row is really a very rare honor,” said Idaho Falls Mayor Rebecca Casper.  “We couldn’t be more pleased with the exceptional work of our employees and management team at IDA.  This is a team effort and it really reflects the professionalism and hard work of all our staff there.”

The FAA requires all U.S. airports providing commercial airline services to comply with Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) Part 139. FAR Part 139 serves to ensure safety in air transportation and defines the standards within which an airport must operate on a daily basis. The annual inspection is required for an airport to renew its operating certificate.

This critical and comprehensive annual safety inspection focuses on areas such as aircraft rescue and firefighting equipment, training and response times; condition of runway and taxiway pavement, markings and lighting; movement area; driver training; fuel storage and handling; obstructions to airspace; wildlife hazard management; and accuracy and completeness of records for facility self-inspections. FAA inspectors also critique the airport's certification manual – a comprehensive document that includes an emergency plan for a variety of operational scenarios.

“Our training curriculum, standard operating procedures and safety culture we have implemented over the past few years is really paying off,” said Craig Davis, Idaho Falls Regional Airport Consultant.  “This could not have been accomplished without the dedication of each and every member of the IDA Airport staff.”