The FAA issued a final rule to correct a mistake that affected Part 135 on-demand charter operators that voluntarily complied with the training requirements outlined under Part 121, NBAA reported to members last week. Originally published in July 2013, the rule required these operators to also require second-in-command pilots to have an airline transport pilot certificate.

“This correction makes it easier for operators to raise the safety bar by voluntarily complying with the more rigorous training requirements of Part 121, yet removes the increased stringency of mandating SICs hold an ATP,” said Brian Koester, NBAA’s manager of operations.

The technical amendment, published last Monday, amends FARs 121.431 and 135.3 to ensure that operators continue operating safely and efficiently. It also contained three minor corrections to Part 61 affecting ATP training and testing, NBAA said.