Chartering a business aircraft is a convenient alternative to flying on an airline. For consumers not versed in aviation, finding the safest operators can be a challenge. The expectation is that chartering a Gulfstream or Learjet should have the exact same level of safety as riding in the back of a Southwest or Delta airliner. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
After reading several recent NTSB accident reports involving chartered flights, a few glaring issues emerged. One, the FAA doesn’t hold on-demand operators to the same safety standards or level of oversight as the scheduled airlines. The other is that those companies operating “on the cheap” have no business offering services to the traveling public. This is a case where a few bad apples have hurt the reputation of an entire industry.
Pilot, safety expert, consultant, and aviation journalist Stuart “Kipp” Lau writes about flight safety and airmanship for AIN.
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