The FAA says it intends to close a regulatory loophole that allows non-ATP commercial pilots as crew on passenger flights that are "essentially indistinguishable" from regular airline flights. The rule, 14 CFR Part 380, allows Part 135 charter operations to conduct flights that take advance bookings and fly scheduled routes as long as the aircraft used have no more than 30 passenger seats. Some airlines are taking advantage of the rule by contracting with charter companies to serve smaller markets in aircraft with all the trappings of regular airliners. Pilots who fly Part 135 need a commercial ticket with a minimum of 250 flight hours rather than the ATP and 1,500 required for Part 121 airline operations. The agency said it's been watching the growth of such operations over the last 10 years and believes it's now time to curtail the practice out of safety concerns. It's filed a Notice of Intent to start a rulemaking process.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.avweb.com/aviation-news/288103