Fly Legal day is on the anniversary of soccer star Emiliano Sala’s death when his illegal charter flight crashed into the English Channel.
The Air Charter Association marked the sixth anniversary of Emiliano Sala on an illegal charter flight with its annual Fly Legal Day.
The star footballer died in a 2019 crash while flying between France and England.
Per The Air Charter Association:
An illegal charter is an unlicensed aircraft charter operation – one where the operator does not have an AOC (Air Operator Certificate) and is operating a private aircraft for which the operator, aircraft owner, and/or pilot(s) is not legally allowed to accept payment for their flying or aircraft. Although uncommon, regrettably, illegal charters do occur, and it is a very dangerous practice.
Legitimate, licensed, regulated, and fully legal commercial operators and pilots spend huge amounts of time and financial resources to minimize the risk involved in every commercial flight. They are also subject to rigorous safety oversight by national authorities. They must adhere to a strict set of regulations, including specific standards for aircraft maintenance, flight operations, ground operations, crew experience and training, and increased insurance, all of which protect the safety of passengers and crew.
This level of oversight and safety management simply does not exist with private flights, and this is why the distinction between private flights and commercial operations exists – to protect fare-paying passengers who expect the highest standards.
The FAA issued a warning on illegal charters in 2022.
Experts say the Covid-led demand surge in 2020 and a flood of new consumers looking for deals has boosted illegal charters.
“We’ve seen a dramatic uptick in reports (to our illegal charter hotline), very detailed information…and I don’t even think the full surge is in motion,” said a National Air Transportation Association executive.
In March 2019, we published, “BlackBird just raised $10 million to be the Uber of private flying… Here’s what I learned from reading the fine print with an aviation attorney.”
In December 2019, the FAA said it was investigating BlackBird.
Our report found terms were buried in over 10,000 words of multiple agreements.
Flyers assumed operational control.
That meant they were legally responsible for ensuring that the pilots they were matched with were qualified.
The customer was also responsible for ensuring their insurance was current and proper maintenance records had been maintained.
This also meant they could be liable for any claims made during their operational control of the aircraft, including injuries to other passengers who booked seats on the flight via the Blackbird app.
Then CEO Rudd Davis said the company would “pause” activity under FAA scrutiny.
He called it “a minority of our business.”
Surf Air bought BlackBrid in 2020 to enhance its focus as an urban mobility technology platform.
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