FAA: Illegal Charter Crackdown Working

The FAA concludes 2021 on a high note, stating that the agency’s campaign aimed at stopping illegal charter operations appears to be working.

Meg Godlewski

Thursday, December 23, 2021 at 11:34 AM ET

Verified

In summer 2019, the FAA launched its educational campaign about the dangers of illegal charter operations. [Courtesy: FAA]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA's campaign against illegal charter operations is successfully increasing public awareness, reporting, and enforcement, concluding 2021 on a high note.
Illegal charter operators bypass crucial safety regulations for certified operations, such as pilot training, aircraft maintenance, and drug testing, posing significant public safety risks.
A landmark June 2021 Houston jury decision, fining an operator nearly $240,000 for illegal flights, serves as a key example of the FAA's stepped-up enforcement and commitment to curtailing these activities.

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The FAA concludes 2021 on a high note, stating that the agency’s campaign aimed at stopping illegal charter operations appears to be working. As proof of this, the FAA cited the decision by a Houston jury in June to hold an aircraft operator liable for flying illegal charters.

According to the FAA, “An illegal charter operator charges people for flights without going through the proper certification process, and skirts safety rules in the process. They have been a persistent—and potentially dangerous—problem for the FAA, the traveling public, and the legitimate air transport industry for years.”