Sponsors (2)
Requires passenger-carrying scheduled public charter flights with more than nine seats to be regulated under FAA Part 121 starting 90 days after enactment.
The bill extends stricter Part 121 standards to scheduled public-charter flights, trading stronger safety and more consistent oversight for higher costs, potential service reductions in niche and rural markets, and short-term legal/operational uncertainty for operators.
Passengers on scheduled public-charter flights (including those with chronic conditions), flight crews, and other transportation workers would be subject to higher Part 121 safety standards, likely improving overall flight safety and reducing accident/incident risk.
Applying Part 121 uniformly to scheduled public charters closes regulatory gaps and standardizes oversight, improving government accountability and consistent enforcement across commercial operators.
Air carriers and charter operators will face higher compliance costs to meet Part 121 requirements, which are likely to be passed on to travelers as higher fares and could reduce the financial viability of some services.
Smaller regional or niche charter services may stop serving certain routes or exit the market, reducing travel options and connectivity—especially for rural and other underserved communities.
A 90-day automatic effective date even if the FAA has not yet issued implementing regulations could create legal uncertainty and operational disruption for carriers, increasing compliance risk and potential litigation.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Official title: To direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to issue certain regulations eliminating public charters from being eligible for on-demand eligibility under part 380 of title 14, Code of Federal Regulations, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 11, 2026 by Timothy M. Kennedy · Last progress February 11, 2026
Requires that, starting 90 days after enactment, any passenger-carrying scheduled charter flight operated with an aircraft having more than nine passenger seats be regulated by the FAA as a Part 121 domestic or flag operation. It defines which charter operations are covered (public charters that advertise departure time, location, and arrival in advance) and makes the change automatic on the 91st day even if the FAA has not issued implementing rules. The law does not appropriate funds or amend other statutes; it simply changes the regulatory category for a subset of charter air service providers, bringing them under the stricter operating rules that apply to scheduled airlines under 14 C.F.R. part 121.