An article from yesterday in the Guernsey Press:
https://guernseypress.com/news/2020/...grey-charters/
PROGRESS is being made on tackling grey charters, but there is still more work to do, the Channel Islands’ civil aviation director Dominic Lazarus has said.The issue was brought into the spotlight following the death of footballer Emiliano Sala and pilot David Ibbotson in Channel Islands waters last year.
The Air Accidents Investigation Branch report last week confirmed that Mr Ibbotson did not have the correct type of licence to fly the night journey or enough experience flying on just instruments in difficult weather conditions.
Mr Lazarus said there had not been any surprises in the report, since his organisation had helped provide the information.
He welcomed the fact that it highlighted the issue of grey charters – unlicensed charter flights – and the dangers that could be involved.
The Civil Aviation Authority has been working to raise the profile of the issue.
Mr Lazarus said the public had an important role to play.
‘It does not surprise me that people do not check when they get in an aircraft,’ he said.
‘You get in someone’s car [and you don’t ask] whether the driver has a licence, but with aircraft you have to be very careful. The Sala incident has brought the issue to the forefront.’
He said the best way was for the public to ask whether it was a private or commercial flight and, if private, to look carefully at what figures they are quoted for a journey.
A pilot should not be making a profit, unless they are operating a commercial operation.
That means they should be able to break down the costs of the flight.
Mr Lazarus said one of the common reasons people looked to use private charters was to move pets on and off the island.
However, some airlines operating into Guernsey have introduced the option to carry pets on some services and Mr Lazarus said people should look at that service,
‘People should be very, very careful,’ he said.
The local aviation authority has been working proactively to tackle the problem.
‘We had a sting operation at the end of last year when we stopped an aircraft coming in from Alderney, so it is going on,’ he said.
Mr Lazarus said his organisation had worked closely with the CAA and shared information about which journeys aircraft were making and how often.
Sometimes they will stop every aircraft coming in on a certain day and question the people aboard about the journey to make sure all documentation is approved.
‘It’s ongoing,’ Mr Lazarus said.
‘I think we are getting there and I think we are making progress, but there is still a long way to go. It is more prevalent when the weather is better, so we expect to get busier [in the summer].’
It would seem at least on Guernsey that something is being done though as others have said above it is difficult to make a case against the people who break the regulations.
Can I ask if a high profile AAIB report like this case would be shown to the SoS for transport Grant Chapps and if so would he push for investigating of this and other cases mentioned above ?