The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) has given the go ahead for a second phase of a report which will help to determine the size and impact of illegal charter operations on the continent. The initial stage of the research was commissioned by the Brussels-based trade association earlier this year and undertaken by German companies Roland Berger and Wingx Advance.. It came in response to growing concerns expressed by legitimate charter companies and brokers about the number of aircraft that were being chartered by owners or companies that do not hold an aircraft operator's certificate (AOC).
“The first phase was a qualitative study, to assess whether there is an issue,” says EBAA president Brian Humphries. “The results [which will not be published] reveal there clearly is an issue, so now a second study is underway to assess the extent of the problem. The results should be with us by the end of the year.”
Illegal chartering has been a hot issue for EBAA for some time. In 2011, it launched a campaign calling on operators, brokers and passengers to help stamp out this practice within Europe.
The association produced a leaflet titled "Is my flight legal. Ensure the safety and legality of the business aircraft you charter" that stipulates which activities fall within the realm of permissible flight activity within Europe and which do not.
“Unfortunately, the rampant abuse of the regulations by a number of operators, brokers and owners still persists [two years on],” says Humphries. “We don’t know how widespread it is, but this study should go some way to finding this out.”
Some national civil aviation authorities are also seeking to raise awareness of the issue within the business and general aviation community. Earlier this month, the UK Civil Aviation Authority called for vigilance against “individuals, organisations or companies” offering flights in return for payment without an AOC issued by the authority.
“Having an AOC means they are regularly checked out by the CAA to ensure they maintain and operate their aircraft to stringent commercial air transport standards,” says the UK CAA. "Anyone requesting payment for flights without an AOC is breaking the law, putting passengers at risk and may be invalidating the life insurances of all on board."
The association says it too is uncertain how widespread illegal chartering has become. “We don’t have any data, only anecdotal evidence that the practcse is going on,” it adds. Nonetheless, a mixture of timely ramp checks and positive tip-offs have contributed to “10 successful prosecutions of individuals operating illegal public transport flights in the last eight years” says the UK CAA.,
Source: FlightGlobal.com
