AMI Jet Charter/TAG 135 certificate revoked

[linder]

There are several issues here, one dealing with foreign ownership of a Part 135, secondly dealing with operational control of the aircraft.
The main complaint here is that TAG, a foreign company, is using AMI as a subterfuge for getting around the restrictions of foreign ownership when it is obvious that TAG controls the purse strings and the relationship with the owners and in many cases the crews. Therefore you have two major violations. This is exactly the reason they changed the ops specs in the first place.
I think that companies like EJM and Delta Air Elite may have problems as well. The main problem is that the crews for the most part have been hired by and are paid by a different employer, mainly one who owns the aircraft, and has, despite differnet agent relationships or employment contracts, from their standpoint operational control.

Checked with a buddy of mine who works at EJM and was told they already went through the same inspection TAG did and no problems were found.

 

[Seadogrun]

I have a couple of points to make here.

1. With the new operational control rules, if you FLY for a 135 company you should be PAID BY the same 135 company and receive all you bennefits from that company, not the owner of the aircraft, not a broker, not anyone but the 135 company that the plane is on the certificate. That's just the way it is from now on.

2. There was a comment above about the local FISDO/ POI not being the ones who revoked/suspended the certificate. The POI or someone at the FISDO would likely be out of a job if they revoke a licence. The FISDO's are funded by the number of Certs. they oversee. Less certificates means less work and less employees needed at a FISDO.

At any rate, this seems to be an operational controll issue front to back. Not an advertising issue like some have suggested. Brokers will pretend they own airplanes all day long. You'll see them in their ads and on thier business cards and they'll show up to see the pax off, but in my opinoin that is not the issue here. And I know about the overrun at TEB and in the report it was mentioned that the Pax didn't know that the aircraft wasn't owned by the broker, however that's not the violation. The root of the violation in the TEB case(there were many other violations in the TEB case, including uncertified crew and wt. and ballance, etc.)and in this case is operational control.

 

[Publishers]

The predominant issue at TAG was the foreign ownership. They had meetings with DOT in 2005 and had agreed to a Consent Order and fine. The position taken is that they did not clean up that problem to the extent the FAA and DOT wanted.
Obviously, this is not a problem EJM has. There is no foreign ownership issues. The problem with all these managment companies that add aircraft to their certificate is that in many cases, the owner has supplied the crews and is paying the crews, and, [paying for and supplying the benefits, and so is assumed to have some control over them. I believe that in EJM's case, the pilots are considered agents for EJM only when they are engaged in 135 flights.
The fine line in the sand differences here are being drawn as we speak.
How many of you know that there is a difference between what FSDO is used or differences between POI's and PMI's. Probably all of you in 135 or 121 work. How this shakes out will set the policy but that assumes there are no more incidents or accidents. If there are, watch out.

 

[Bally]

Koodos to the FAA. They finally got a spine and cracked down on aircraft on a Certificate whose operational control is with a different company. In this case, TAG controlled everything as is not the Certificate holder.

 

[oiltycoon]

It's official, Sentient Flight Group is acquiring TAG USA. Good luck to all involved.

 

[IFLYHI]

Sentient / TAG

What? no comments about Sentient taking over TAG's aircraft management business. I expected more from you guys! OK, here is TAG's press release. Maybe that will get things going:

Sentient Flight Group Agrees to Purchase Aircraft Management Business of TAG Aviation USA

Acquisition Firmly Establishes Sentient Flight Group As The Leading Aircraft Management Company
October 22, 2007
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND and WEYMOUTH, MASSACHUSETTS, USA TAG Aviation Holding S.A. and Sentient Flight Group, LLC, one of the nation’s premier full-service private aviation companies, today announced an agreement in principle for Sentient to purchase the aircraft management business of TAG Aviation USA. The deal is expected to close prior to the end of the year. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
"We are delighted to reach an agreement with the Sentient Flight Group to join forces and provide the continuity of outstanding service and safety that our owners have come to expect from TAG," said Jake Cartwright, president and chief executive officer of TAG Aviation USA. "Sentient is an organization that shares our passion and dedication to both service and safety. By working together and leveraging the unique resources of the Sentient Flight Group, I am confident we will continue to provide and even improve our existing aircraft management capabilities."
"TAG USA has set the standard for aircraft management. This deal will strengthen our position as a leader in private aviation and allow us to create even stronger programs and services for all of our aircraft owners," said Steven Hankin, chief executive officer, Sentient Flight Group. "Our team will work on behalf of all TAG aircraft owners to effectively and seamlessly integrate the TAG Aircraft Management business and its experienced personnel into our organization."
The deal will provide TAG USA with a favorable solution to an operational control matter regarding operating authority of its affiliated certificate holder, AMI Jet Charter, which is largely related to TAG USA’s foreign ownership by Swiss-based TAG Holding.
The aircraft management teams – including the customer service and owner relationship teams – from TAG USA will remain with the Company and will work with the teams from Sentient Flight Group to maintain continuity of service and operating capability for all owners. The teams will work with each of the TAG aircraft owners and the charter ally partner aircraft from AMI Jet Charter to develop plans that allow planes to be transferred as soon as possible.
Hankin concluded, "Jake and I are confident that the combined resources of our two companies offer the best solution for owners to move forward quickly. Together, we can truly deliver the best aircraft management program in the industry for both current and future owners".
In a short period of time, the Sentient Flight Group has emerged as a leader in the private aviation industry and is known for its leading commitment to safety and its relentless focus on customer service. Through its subsidiary operators, the Sentient is already one of the largest aircraft management companies and is focused on delivering the benefits of scale combined with a personalized service experience for each and every owner. In addition to the largest aircraft management business, the Sentient Flight Group also includes Sentient Jet Membership, the leading private jet membership program with over 3,000 active members, and JetCorp Technical Services, a leading aviation maintenance operation.
About TAG Aviation Holding and TAG Aviation USA:
TAG Aviation is a network of companies providing worldwide personal air travel solutions. TAG Aviation USA offers aircraft management, acquisition and sales, charter sales services and aviation consulting. It sells US charter flights on aircraft operated by FAA-approved and DOT-authorized air carriers. TAG Aviation USA, TAG Aviation Europe S.A., TAG Farnborough Airport (UK), TAG Aviation Asia and TAG Aviation Australia are subsidiaries of TAG Aviation Holding S.A., a privately held company based in Geneva, Switzerland. More information is available at www.tagaviation.com.
About Sentient Flight Group
Sentient Flight Group ("Sentient") is a leading national provider of private aviation services serving clients across the country. Based in Weymouth, Mass., the Company operates Sentient Jet Membership, JetDirect Charter, JetDirect Aircraft Management and JetCorp Technical Services. Investors include CD Ventures, Argosy Capital, ABS Capital Partners, Brantley Partners, HSBC and AIG. All flights are operated under FAR Part 135 regulations. Sentient's subsidiary operators (Atlantic Aviation Flight Services, Inc., JetDirect Aviation, LLC, Presidential Jets, LLC, Spirit Aviation, Inc., Summit Jet, LLC, and Sunset Aviation, Inc.) providing service for Sentient Flight Group must meet both FAA safety requirements and additional standards established by Sentient. More information is available at www.sentientflight.com.

 

[RedBehren]

They announced the purchase of Hawker Beech's Management business today also.

 

[On Your Six]

Any opinions? Is this a good thing for former-TAG pilots? What is the likely impact on individual operators?

 

[Raskal]

Koodos to the FAA. They finally got a spine and cracked down on aircraft on a Certificate whose operational control is with a different company. In this case, TAG controlled everything as is not the Certificate holder.

LOL! The FAA is a LONG way from getting a spine, they won't even let POI's enforce regs regarding the duty day for fear they'll p!ss off the business community-please. But god help you if you don't report a hangnail on your medical!

I don't know, the local feds here, as with the rest of the country seem to really be on the "operational control" kick lately. That's fine, and it came out of the challenger crash in montrose among others, but yanking a certificate? This reeks of politics and finding the easiest goat (foreign owned...wouldn't want to alienate any of the money here, would we) and notice how fast TAG got right back in with acquisitions. There is definitely a political play somewhere in this...

 

[Igor]

I believe the foreign ownership was least of the problems. our pres got a letter from our poi giving "the facts" of the ami/tag disaster. among the highlights were the facts that ami/tag could not prove crews were trained for 135 ops, crews met duty and rest requirments etc. Another rumor is that AMI/tag felt that the expected fines were cheaper than training. so suck up the fine and continue. Not smart.