Charter Operator Launches Campaign To Combat ‘Gray’ Charter Operations

California-based Exquisite Air Charter has added its own “extra layer” of protection for helping customers identify illegal charter operations. Citing an influx of first-time charter customers spurred to private air travel by the COVID pandemic, the company said it is concerned that many may lack an understanding of essential safety standards.

Rena Davenport, CEO of Exquisite Air Charter, said, “This newly developed program allows us to go through the appropriate expert-vetted checks, complementing the work of regular safety organizations like ARGUS and Wyvern, to ultimately avoid operators and owners that are offering illegal charters while doing as much as we can to keep the skies and our customers safe.”

Davenport cited some red flags, such as extraordinarily low prices. The program also helps alert potential customers to unqualified and non-certified operators—or so-called “gray” charter operators—using aircraft that lack sufficient maintenance and fight crews that may not be type-qualified. Inadequate weight-and-balance calculations are another hazard she cites. Beyond the safety factor, gray charter operators don’t pay appropriate taxes and certification fees to aviation authorities.

Davenport said of the program, “While there are established awareness campaigns from The Air Charter Association in the UK and NBAA in the U.S. to educate stakeholders about the hazards of illegal charters, we wanted to add tangible value for our customers with a thorough internal review process that secures working only with reputable, experienced, and trustworthy private aviation operators worldwide.”