The British Business and General Aviation Association (BBGA) has warned non-UK charter operators they could face significant penalties if they operate for-hire flights without obtaining the required foreign carrier permit from the UK CAA. This week, the group presented the example of an undisclosed aircraft owner that is now barred from flying into the UK because the company managing the jet flew “an international celebrity” into the country without having the required clearance for a charter operation.

According to BBGA, operators are finding that they cannot complete the process to secure a foreign carrier permit in time to meet short-notice request for charters. It said that some air operator certificate holders are trying to work around the rules by designating the flight as private, which is illegal, and are not informing either the charter client or the aircraft owner.

In the case of the recent celebrity flight, BBGA said the CAA took “swift and efficient” action. The investigation resulted in the operator being barred from selling charter flights into the UK and the owner being blocked from flying the same aircraft into the country, even for private trips, "for a lengthy time."

“Imagine through no fault of their own, the aircraft owner is denied access to the UK with their own business aircraft because the aircraft management company flouted permit rules,” commented Paul Cremer, chairman of the BBGA’s operations working group.

Since the UK’s Brexit departure from the European Union on Jan. 31, 2020, European charter operators have not had automatic access to UK airports. UK operators face the same requirements to secure flight permits to fly into European airports, involving a burdensome process that has prevented charter flights from happening.

As part of it efforts to confront the safety and competitive issues around illegal charter activity, the BBGA is working with The Air Charter Association and the UK Operations Managers Association to share intelligence with the CAA to support enforcement of the permit requirement. The groups have urged industry colleagues to use the CAA’s whistleblower process to report suspected illegal flights.

“We urge all non-UK air carriers—including European Economic Area and European Free Trade Association operators that wish to undertake commercial services to, from or within the UK—to check all their documentation and credentials and to fully understand how the permit system works,” said Cremer, who is head of aviation delivery at Farnborough-based Gama Aviation.

The BBGA’s Operations Working Group holds regular meetings at airports across the UK with participation by officials from the CAA and Department for Transport. The association will hold its annual conference in London on March 11 with a focus on collaboration and innovation.