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ST. GEORGE — Federal officials announced last week that they are considering revisions to rules governing some air charter operations.
This can either prove to be a benefit or a roadblock to St. George-based SkyWest Inc. which applied to the Federal Aviation Administration to approve the creation of SkyWest Charter last summer.
The FAA said it will begin rulemaking to cover "high-volume" charters that sell seats to the public and are "essentially indistinguishable" from airlines that offer scheduled service.
The FAA said it has "adjusted its oversight" of charter flights as they have grown in size and frequency over the past 10 years. The agency said it will consider whether regulatory changes are needed "to ensure the management of the level of safety necessary for those operations."
Airline unions, such as the Air Line Pilots Association, applauded the move. They claim that charter operations can be used to sidestep federal safety regulations. The association has specifically called out SkyWest since it applied to the FAA for approval last year.
These rules apply to charter flights of 30 seats or less.
Initial plans for SkyWest's charter service have it serving up to 25 locations with a fleet of 18 Bombardier CJR-200s.
