Flight Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT)

A FRAT typically presents a checklist or scoring matrix covering factors such as crew experience and fatigue, weather, airport and approach conditions, time of day, aircraft considerations and the operating environment. Each factor contributes points or a rating, and the tool aggregates them so that hazards which are individually minor but collectively significant become visible before a flight proceeds.

Many FRATs apply thresholds: a low score may allow a flight to proceed normally, a moderate score may require review or sign-off by a manager, and a high score may require mitigation or a decision not to operate. This makes the FRAT a decision aid that supports consistent, documented judgments rather than a replacement for professional discretion. Its value depends on honest inputs and on factors being kept relevant to the operation.

FRAT use is closely associated with the risk-management component of a safety management system, and security-related factors such as destination threat level can be incorporated alongside operational ones. AeroVigil's destination and airspace intelligence can inform the security inputs to such an assessment, helping ensure a flight's risk score reflects the current threat picture as well as operational conditions.