Story ID: 
NATA Renews Meetings on Illegal Charter
By: Kerry Lynch
Caption: After a hiatus spurred by the Covid-19 pandemic, NATA is resurrecting meetings to campaign against illegal charter.
Word Count: 231
As charter flying continues to gain steam and restrictions lift, the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) is renewing its series of meetings around the country focused on combating illegal charter. The association is mapping out the next seven meetings around the U.S. beginning this month and extending through September.

Pre-pandemic, the association had collaborated with the FAA on engaging with local communities and operators on the pitfalls of illegal charter with a push to educate about the “careless, the clueless, and the criminal.” These efforts began in South Carolina and then spread to gatherings in Indiana, Tennessee, and Florida, among other locations, raising not only awareness among operators and local communities, but also with FAA officials. The last gathering, before the pandemic halted the meetings, was held in Fargo, North Dakota, in late 2019.

NATA is still hashing out details of the meetings, but the schedule calls for the next one to be held this month in Indianapolis. Next month, NATA is planning  forums in Austin and Houston, Texas, along with Van Nuys and Bakersfield, California. Following in September are sessions in Charlotte, North Carolina; Omaha, Nebraska; and Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The meetings are part of a multi-pronged effort NATA has engaged in to tackle the issue, including managing a hotline, providing a range of educational resources, and working with other organizations globally.