Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC
Corporate flight departments are in favour of placing fractional ownership programmes under stricter regulations, says an opinion poll under way for the US National Business Aviation Association (NBAA).
The final report will be presented at the NBAA convention, which will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, in October. Preliminary results indicate that most NBAA members want fractionals "surgically" removed from the Part 91 regulations that govern general aviation and placed under the more stringent Part 135 rules applicable to commercial operations.
Although only 20% of members had responded to the poll by late September, the trends are already clear, believes NBAA president Jack Olcott. Over 60% of respondents want fractionals moved to Part 135, "and we will be surprised if the final results are significantly different", he says.
Safety is the most commonly cited justification for moving fractionals, says opinion research firm Hickman-Brown. But another reason is the fear that companies will close their flight departments and buy fractional shares instead.
Olcott admits that the issue is "very challenging" for the NBAA, as it represents the interests of traditional flight departments, but has previously advocated keeping fractionals under Part 91.
The association hopes to forestall any moves to tighten business aviation regulation by persuading the US Federal Aviation Administration to adopt the NBAA's guidelines for the operation of fractional programmes. These were drawn up with the National Air Transportation Association, representing charter operators, and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.
Source: Flight International
