Passengers warned against 'grey charter' flights

Passengers are being warned not to take unlicensed "grey charter" flights.

These illegal flights are run by private owners who may not have the necessary documents and often do not adhere to "strict safety protocols" followed by commercial operators, Guernsey's Office of the Director of Civil Aviation (ODCA) said.

The ODCA said grey charters therefore "carry extreme risk" and may not be covered by insurance.

The office is running an awareness campaign, urging passengers to check that the aircraft has an Air Operator Certificate before boarding or asking to transport cargo, including cats and dogs.

Guernsey's acting director of civil aviation, Simon Crook, said passengers should be aware of the risks of accepting a grey charter flight, even if it seems convenient.

He said his office shares information about suspected grey charter flights with the UK Civil Aviation Authority and its US counterpart.

Crook warned that "pilots conducting these illegal flights could be investigated and [have] their licence suspended or revoked".

If such pilots make a profit on a flight, that counts as a commercial flight and would be illegal, he said. Cost sharing is permitted only for direct costs such as fuel, oil and landing fees.

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