Airline has flights suspended after discovering that no pilot was qualified to fly – 02/08/2023 – Market

The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) suspended the certificate of Aero Micronesia, an air cargo company based in Guam (United States territory) that operates under the name of Asia-Pacific Airlines, after the carrier failed to prove that its pilots received the proper training.

On February 1, 2023, the FAA issued an Emergency Suspension Order, as the airline has failed to produce records showing that the two individuals who provide proficiency checks for the airline’s pilots have been properly trained and qualified within the past two years.

FAA regulations dictate that any flight verification provided by these two individuals is invalid, meaning that none of the company’s pilots are currently qualified to fly.

The FAA notified Asia-Pacific in December saying the company was in apparent non-compliance with regulations and urged the carrier to suspend operations until the matter was resolved. The airline, however, was able to continue operating even after the warning.

Under the emergency suspension, the company must now immediately surrender its Air Operator’s Certificate to the FAA and cease operations until it can provide complete records. Failure to meet this requirement can result in fines of up to $16,108 per day.