Federal board urges stricter safety rules for loading and dispatching charter flights like air tours [Video]

WASHINGTON – A federal safety agency is recommending that air tours and other commercial aircraft operators be required to have certificated dispatchers to help pilots plan their flights.

The National Transportation Safety Board said Tuesday that and other recommendations are based on a study of more than 500 accidents, some of them fatal.

The NTSB said it began the study after seeing a “cluster of safety issues” from investigations of crashes between 2010 and 2022.

The recommendations would not apply to major airlines, which operate under the most stringent U.S. rules. The NTSB noted that historically airlines have had lower accident rates than charter operations.

The board said the Federal Aviation Administrationshould require air tours, commuter services, air ambulances and …