N E W S
FAA GROUNDS PARADIGM AIR
FOR ALLEGED ILLEGAL CHARTER
BUSINESS AIRPORT INTERNATIONAL A P R I L 2 0 2 0 |
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The Federal Aviation Administration has
revoked the operating certificate of Dallas,
Texas-based Paradigm Air for allegedly
conducting unauthorized charter flights that
transported professional sports teams in the USA.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) between June 2013 and March 2018 Paradigm
conducted at least 34 unauthorized, common carriage
charter flights using its two Boeing 757 and one
Boeing 737 aircraft.
Customers on these alleged illegal charter flights
included the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland
Indians, Oakland Athletics and Texas Rangers
baseball teams, and the New York Rangers and
Toronto Maple Leafs National hockey teams.
Under its FAA-issued operating certificate,
Paradigm is allowed to conduct non-common carriage
and private carriage operations, which the regulator
considers as providing air transportation services for
one or several selected customers, generally on a
long-term basis. However, Paradigm does not have
a certificate which allows them to advertise for-hire
charter flights to the public, or to solicit or conduct
such “common carriage” flights.
For 28 of the 34 flights investigated by the FAA,
Paradigm was found to have paid commissions
totaling US$101,320 to a consultant. For the other
six flights, Paradigm received payments totaling
US$652,500 from an air charter broker.
According to the FAA, on at least 11 of these
occasions Paradigm claimed the operations were
demonstration flights to prospective aircraft buyers,
when the actual purpose of the flights was paid air
transportation.
Paradigm, through a consultant, also solicited
and obtained long-term contracts with the Arizona
Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies and Seattle
Mariners baseball teams. Paradigm paid a consultant
a total of US$272,646 for its role in getting these
contracts, the FAA claims.
The FAA further alleges that Paradigm, on at least
17 other occasions advertised or otherwise offered
charter flights that ended up not taking place.
The regulator also said that Paradigm conducted
the flights using pilots who had not completed
the required training and flight proficiency checks
for common carriage operations. The flights were
conducted despite common-carriage operations
personnel, such as directors of safety, maintenance
and operations not being present. Furthermore, the
unauthorized flights were conducted when it lacked
economic authority from the US Department of
Transportation, the FAA alleges.
Under the FAA’s emergency revocation order,
Paradigm was required to immediately surrender its
operating certificate.
Paradigm was contacted but refused to comment
on the case.
Paradigm Air has
a Boeing 737 and two
757s in its fleet of aircraft
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