The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) has established a task force to ensure that the Part 135 community will be prepared once demand returns for charter. NATA's Part 135 Covid-19 Task Force will address concerns and develop best practices covering flight crew safety, aircraft sanitation, and the minimizing of contact between flight crews, passengers, and ground-handling service professionals.
“This task force will complement the important work being done by NATA’s Safety Committee in addressing operational safety concerns during the pandemic and those that may lie ahead as restrictions throughout the country are lifted,” said NATA senior v-p Ryan Waguespack. “NATA is pleased to serve as the bridge that unites these vital segments in ensuring the best possible operational flow for flight crew and ground-handling service professionals.”
The task force expects to begin holding weekly calls this week to formalize discussions that had been ongoing between charter executives, added Waguespack, who credited Jet Linx director of safety Sheryl Clarke for playing a key role in shepherding those discussions.
A significant concern for the community is a lack of communications between operators and charter brokers on health and safety issues, particularly when extra health precautions might be necessary, he said. The task force also will look at basic practices, such as boarding an aircraft in a way the protects both the crew and passengers.
Another issue surrounds pilot currency, and while for the short term there is leniency, operators are continuing to face issues of getting pilots to training sites. Concerns also involve keeping crews safe while on the road. “There is a confidence issue,” he said, particularly when crews must transit through airport terminals.
However, that confidence issue also holds true for the passengers, and, as a result, NATA’s charter broker members foresee a pent-up preference for private travel once restrictions lift. “We need to be ready when demand picks up again,” he said.