Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters, the world’s largest and longest-running helicopter tour company, is the recipient of two Diamond Awards from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for excellence in maintenance and compliance. Founded in 1991, the FAA Diamond Awards are considered the highest industry honors within the William O’Brien Aviation Maintenance Technician (AMT) Awards program. (Click here for more information.)

The first AMT Diamond Award of Excellence was for the 135 Air Carrier and Operation Certificate. Air carriers achieve this status by ensuring 100 percent of their certificated aviation technicians receive William (Bill) O’Brien Awards for various areas and disciplines. The second AMT Diamond Award of Excellence was given for Papillon’s FAA 145 Certified Repair Station, which is a maintenance facility that has an FAA certificate issued under Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14 CFR) Part 145 and is engaged in the maintenance, preventive maintenance, inspection and alteration of aircraft and aircraft products.

Papillon’s commitment to safety is reflected in the awards and certifications the company continues to receive.

Recently, Papillon’ safety management system obtained full Stage Three registration with the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO), granted by the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC). IS-BAO Stage Three represents the highest level of compliance with IBAC’s standard of best practices for aviation operations. Although voluntary, the IBAC Standard is comparable to the ISO-9000 Standard for manufacturing entities. IBAC granted Papillon the prestigious designation following an extensive, multi-year audit of its safety practices, safety reporting, dedication to ongoing improvement and overall safety-oriented company culture. No other aerial tour company serving Las Vegas or the Grand Canyon has obtained IS-BAO Stage Three designation and only 280 Stage Three-registered aviation companies, of more than 6,000 worldwide, are active today.

“At Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters, our formula is, ‘Knowledge, Professionalism and Safety.’ These core values represent our commitment to providing the highest quality of maintenance,” concludes Brenda Halvorson, chief executive officer, Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters. “Every day, our operations team ensures our guests’ safety remains the top priority. We simply have the best team in the industry and they richly deserve to be recognized for their hard work and dedication.”