ARGUS Platinum
ARGUS International rates charter operators in three tiers: Gold, based on a review of certificates, pilot histories and accident records; Gold Plus, which adds an on-site audit; and Platinum, which requires a functioning safety management system and emergency response plan and is renewed by audit every two years. Only a small minority of operators hold Platinum. ARGUS also produces TripCHEQ reports that check a specific aircraft and crew against its database for a given flight. When an operator or broker advertises 'ARGUS rated', ask which tier: Gold is a desk check and a reasonable floor, Platinum is the mark of an operator that has invested seriously in safety culture.