The Air Charter Association (ACA) is seeking to raise awareness of the dangers of illegal charter flights during a Fly Legal Day event on Sunday, January 21. That date will mark the fifth anniversary of the fatal accident in which soccer player Emiliano Sala and pilot David Ibbotson lost their lives in an illegally chartered flight from France to the UK.
ACA is urging industry colleagues to report suspicious charters to regulators. The UK-based group has reported multiple concerns over the past year, resulting in action being taken against one operator, while flights have been prevented from taking off and unlicensed operators are being monitored to prevent illegal commercial flights.
“There has been greater public awareness of the dangers of illegal charter since the Sala incident, which has prompted an increase in reports to authorities,” said ACA CEO Glenn Hogben. “However at the end of 2023, another fatal aircraft accident occurred with many similarities to the Sala case, although we hope the investigation will prove otherwise.”
ACA aims to raise awareness that charter flights are illegal if conducted by an operator without an air operator certificate flying a private aircraft and accepting payment. It also publicizes that operators without licenses are not required to adhere to strict commercial aviation regulatory standards for maintenance, crew training, and operational management to ensure the safety of passengers.