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Bloomberg
Within months of a 2008 fatal plane crash that killed five, federal authorities revoked the
license of the Oklahoma company that arranged the charter flight for allegedly doing so
illegally.
But Interstate Helicopters Inc won back its certificate to fly commercially early the next year and has kept it despite multiple subsequent violations of aviation regulations, a guilty plea to federal criminal charges and alleged illegal charter flights prompting a proposed $617,100 fine in 2021, according to public records.
James Johnson, the owner of Interstate Helicopters, blamed confusing regulations and criticised the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for targeting him. Instead of contesting charges, he said in an interview that he agreed to settle on several occasions to avoid hefty legal fees.
Interstate Helicopters’ case illustrates the challenges faced by the FAA. Despite a crackdown in recent years that has resulted in a surge of civil enforcement and criminal cases, legal operators say tougher penalties are needed to rein in a widespread problem that has marred the industry’s reputation.
“The penalties need to be stiff and they need to be expedient,†said Alan Stephens, vice president of regulatory affairs at the National Air Transportation Association (Nata), a leading trade group for the charter industry.
The darker side of the chartered jet business has involved Hollywood celebrities and several sports teams, and is behind a handful of fatal crashes, such as a business jet that
skidded off a South Carolina runway with malfunctioning brakes in 2018, Bloomberg News reported earlier.
Nata, which represents thousands of airport businesses including many of the biggest charter companies, is pushing FAA to make it easier for
potential clients to determine whether operators are legitimate. It also plans on asking Congress for measures to toughen enforcement, Stephens said.
Partially at Nata’s urging, the FAA in recent years created
a special investigative team aimed at illicit charter operators, pursued dozens of enforcement cases with millions of dollars in proposed fines, and held numerous public forums to educate industry groups on
the rules. It has also created a website with warnings for
consumers.
But those investigative and educational efforts haven’t stopped illegal charter operators from flying, according to FAA inspectors, former agency lawyers, aviation industry officials and public records.