Wish List

Aeromedical flights and air taxi, charter and on-demand operations are “susceptible to disaster” because they are not required to comply with the same safety standards established for commercial airlines, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) says.

This evaluation prompted the NTSB to add improving the safety of U.S. Federal Aviation Regulations Part 135 operations to its 2019–2020 Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements.

“The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) doesn’t require air medical service, air taxi, charter or on-demand flights [covered by Part 135] to meet the same safety requirements as commercial airlines,” the NTSB said early February in announcing its Most Wanted List.

Even so, the NTSB added, many Part 135 operators could “be taking more initiative to ensure the highest level of safety for their aircraft and passengers.”