IBAC Mourns the Loss of John Sheehan – Former IBAC Audit Manager

Montreal – 08 April 2026 - The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) expresses condolences to the family and industry colleagues of the late John J. Sheehan, III.

A lifelong advocate for international aviation safety, Sheehan’s passion for the industry was clear to all that met him. In addition to his honorable career in the US Navy, Sheehan served in the senior leadership at AOPA and later became the secretary general of the International Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (IAOPA) before joining IBAC in 2008 as Audit Manager.

Kurt Edwards, IBAC Director General, reflected “I had the privilege of working with John when I joined IBAC and was immediately struck by his deep understanding of general aviation’s international importance, always delivered with an engaging wit that made even the most complex regulatory discussions a pleasure. His significant contributions to our IS-BAO programme strengthened its foundation, and we are deeply grateful for his unwavering dedication to its success,” added Edwards.

While leading IAOPA, Sheehan partnered with IBAC’s Don Spruston (former Director General) to answer ICAO’s call for a comprehensive rewrite of the outdated Annex 6, Part II covering international operations of general aviation. Together, with an advisory team of business aviation experts, they championed a shift from outdated (1960s) prescriptive 'must-do' rules to the goal-oriented, performance-based standards that  more closely align with the diverse nature of business and general aviation operations. John then joined IBAC and spearheaded the rollout of the IS-BAO SMS Toolkit, a vital resource that supported operator implementation of practical best safety practices around the world.

About International Business Aviation Council (IBAC)

IBAC represents the interests of business aviation worldwide. IBAC is a non-profit, international trade association with official observer status at the International Civil Aviation Organization, the UN Specialized Agency for aviation matters, in Montreal, Canada. IBAC promotes and manages the industry-leading standards for best safety practices through its International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO^TM); International Standard for Business Aviation Handling (IS-BAH^TM); Safety Management Tool Kit; SMS eLearning training; and Crew Card. In partnership with CTX, the IBAC Carbon Credit Exchange provides the business aviation community with a reliable resource for real-time offsetting to reduce its carbon footprint. More details at www.ibac.org

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Marj Rose, IBAC Communications Consultant, comms@ibac.org