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, which bypass critical safety regulations, is deemed successful by the end of 2021, leading to increased awareness and enforcement.
Launched in 2019, the campaign utilized extensive educational outreach, including workshops, a website, and social media, targeting pilots, the public, and industry professionals.
Evidence of success includes increased reporting and investigations, culminating in significant legal actions such as a Houston jury fining an illegal operator nearly $240,000 for unsafe flights.

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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.”