Sat, Jan 28, 2017
Low-Fare Flights Will Begin On Schedule Feb 6, CEO Says
With or without permission from the City of Santa Monica, JetSuiteX plans to begin scheduled operations out of Santa Monica Airport (KSMO) on February 6.
That's the position of JetSuite CEO Alex Wilcox, who says that the company has "a federal right to operate" to and from KSMO even if the city does not grant the company a certificate for such operations.
The city, however, says JetSuiteX is selling tickets for a service that they legally have no right to offer.
The southern California newspaper The Argonaut reports that JetSuiteX will operate as a "public charter" as allowed in Part 135 of the FARs. That is different from a commercial operation. The company made that distinction to KSMO manager Stelios Makrides in a letter dated January 17, which prompted a closed-door meeting between the city council and the city's interim attorney.
While no action was taken at that meeting, Santa Monica City Manager Rick Cole said that the city plans to "vigorously work to keep them from beginning what we consider — until a [commercial] permit is considered — an illegal operation.”
Cole said that the "opinion" of the company is moot. "We are the regulatory body and they don't have a permit," Cole said. The city says it has not approved the permit on the grounds that JetSuite provided "incomplete information" in its application.
The FAA hasn't been much help. They sent a one-line response to various requests for clarification. The agency said in the brief statement that its role "is to ensure that airport sponsors comply with federal obligations,” citing the 20 pages of rules for "Assurances: Airport Sponsor" for grant recipients.
More News
He Attempted To Restart The Engine Three Times. On The Third Restart Attempt, He Noticed That Flames Were Coming Out From The Right Wing Near The Fuel Cap Analysis: The pilot repor>[...]
Make Sure You NEVER Miss A New Story From Aero-News Network Do you ever feel like you never see posts from a certain person or page on Facebook or Instagram? Here’s how you c>[...]
From 2009 (YouTube Edition): Leading Air Show Performers Give Their Best Advice for Newcomers On December 6th through December 9th, the Paris Las Vegas Hotel hosted over 1,500 air >[...]
Aero Linx: NASA ASRS ASRS captures confidential reports, analyzes the resulting aviation safety data, and disseminates vital information to the aviation community. The ASRS is an i>[...]
“For our inaugural Pylon Racing Seminar in Roswell, we were thrilled to certify 60 pilots across our six closed-course pylon race classes. Not only did this year’s PRS >[...]
NTSB Final Report: Rutan Long-EZ
See All