(a) Statement of concept. An aircraft charter (commercial operator) and an air taxi operator is a person, firm or corporation engaged in the business of providing air transportation (persons or property) to the general public for hire, either on a charter basis (commercial operations) or as an air taxi operator, as defined in the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, or as said act may be supplemented or amended from time to time.
(b) Minimum standards.
(1) The operator shall lease from the city an area of not less than 18,000 square feet of ground space on which shall be erected a building providing for at least 3,000 square feet of floor space for aircraft storage, and at least 1,200 square feet of floor space for office, restroom, customer lounge and telephone facilities for customer use; auto parking space with minimum accommodations for ten automobiles (no on-street parking), a paved walkway, all within the leased area and sufficient to accommodate the operator's activities.
(2) The operator shall provide aircraft necessary to meet FAR part 135, section 135.25 (14 CFR 135.25), which is quoted below:
a. Each certificate holder must have the exclusive use of at least one aircraft that meets the requirements for at least one kind of operation authorized in his operations specifications. In addition, for each kind of operation for which he does not have the exclusive use of an aircraft, he must have available for use under a written agreement (including arrangements for performing required maintenance) at least one aircraft that meets the requirements for that kind of operation. However, this subsection does not prohibit the operator from using the aircraft for other than air taxi or commercial operations, or require him to have exclusive use of each aircraft that he uses.
b. For the purposes of subsection (b)(2)a of this section, a person has exclusive use of an aircraft if he has the sole possession, control, and use of it for flight, as owner, or has a written agreement (including arrangements for the performance of required maintenance) giving him that possession, control and use for at least six consecutive months.
(3) The operator performing the services under this category will be required to carry the following types of insurance in the limits specified:
(A) | Aircraft liability: | |||
Bodily injury (each accident) | ||||
Each person | $100,000.00 | |||
For more than one person | $300,000.00 | |||
Passenger liability | ||||
Each passenger, each accident | $75,000.00 | |||
Property damage | ||||
Each accident | $100,000.00 | |||
(B) | Comprehensive public liability and comprehensive property damage: | |||
Bodily injury (each accident) | ||||
Each person | $100,000.00 | |||
For more than one person | $300,000.00 | |||
Property damage | ||||
Each accident | $100,000.00 | |||
(C) | Hangar keepers liability: | |||
Each accident | $300,000.00 | |||
(4) The operator shall have his premises open and services available seven days a week.
(5) The operator shall have in his employ and on duty during operating hours, trained personnel in such numbers as are required to meet the minimum standards set forth in this category in an efficient manner, but never less than one Federal Aviation Administration currently certificated commercial pilot and otherwise appropriately rated to permit the flight activity offered by operator. The operator shall have available sufficient qualified operating crews and satisfactory number of personnel for checking in passengers, handling of luggage and ticketing. The prospective operator shall provide reasonable assurance of a continued availability of qualified operating crews and approved aircraft within a reasonable or specified maximum notice period.
(c) Air taxi companies not based on Big Spring Airport and Industrial Park, but who are providing scheduled service to and from the airport, are exempted from these minimum standards and requirements.
(Prior Code, § 10-17; Ord. of 6-22-1982)