New Illegal Charter Guidance for Pilots and Passengers

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) released new guidance and resources to educate pilots and air passengers on illegal charter, while warning that future non-compliance may result in FAA sanctions.

The updates posted to the FAA’s website include a detailed letter to Blackbird Air – a web-based app that connects passengers with pilots – in which the agency states that any pilot who provides charter flights without complying with Part 119 will be in violation of Federal Aviation Regulations. An additional document provides a series of questions and answers to help passengers and pilots understand the legal consequences of engaging in air transportation services without the operator holding the requisite certifications.

In a related action, the FAA has also empowered their inspectors to focus on illegal charter activity through formalizing their process during investigations. By giving inspectors specific work-flows to use when reviewing possible non-certificated activities, the FAA will be able to better coordinate its national response to illegal charter.  

The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) has been working in concert with the FAA to determine better ways to approach the issue of illegal charter operations and these documents are a direct result of these efforts.

More information about illegal charter is available through the FAA’s updated Safe Air Charter Operations website and NATA’s Avoid Illegal Charter website.