With the coronavirus wreaking havoc and hardship around the globe, on-demand air charter providers and other business and general aviation operators face unprecedented economic challenges. In that regard, the Air Charter Safety Foundation has announced that it will provide its ACSF members and participants in the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) the option to defer their dues for up to four months.

In a letter to its membership today, the ACSF's president Bryan Burns wrote, “In recognition of these tough economic times, the Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) is giving all members and ASAP participants the option of deferring payment renewals until August 1, 2020. Your ACSF membership benefits and ASAP programme will continue unimpeded during this time. After August 1, 2020, ACSF will invoice per your appropriate renewal date.”

Based in Washington DC, the ACSF promises to continue to provide the same level of support and service it has long been delivering. Despite the hardship, Burns says the foundation will continue to schedule daily event review committee (ERC) meetings to review and analyse submitted ASAP reports; staff the toll-free hotline to field reports of suspected illegal commercial activity; and facilitate any FAA-related questions or concerns with the members' local Flight Standards District Office (FSDO).

Burns also stated in his letter to the members: “This deferral is our way of demonstrating how much we value and appreciate your membership, as well as your health, safety and financial well-being. We hope these extraordinary challenges we're currently facing will soon be diminished, and that on-demand charter, fractional ownership and business aviation travel can once again rise to become the excellent choice of transportation that it has been for so long.”