Story ID: 
ACA Declares January 21 'Fly Legal Day'
By: Jerry Siebenmark
Caption: The Air Charter Association's "Fly Legal Day" declaration aims to honor soccer player Emiliano Sala, who was killed in an illegal charter flight.
Word Count: 202
In another effort to raise awareness about illegal charters, the Air Charter Association (ACA) has declared today to be Fly Legal Day. The date was chosen to honor Argentinian professional soccer player Emiliano Sala, who on Jan. 21, 2019, was killed in the crash of an illegally chartered aircraft.

“Illegal charter, although not common, remains an ongoing issue in our industry, and Sala’s anniversary highlights the tragic consequences of this illicit activity, which we are determined to minimize,” said ACA chief executive Glenn Hogben. “In memory of Sala, we are launching our Fly Legal Day and ask all our members and industry colleagues around the world to unite in spreading the word and to shine a light on this illegal practice, with the hope of preventing any future tragedy.”

Illegal charters involve operators that don’t have an air operator certificate or air carrier certificate and are not legally allowed to accept payment for a flight. “Ensuring that travelers always fly legally is a crucial part of our mission,” Hogben added. “Using one of our trusted member companies ensures those involved in organizing air charter will avoid illegal charter flights and avoid putting anyone at significant risk.”