Department of Defense Civil Reserve Air Fleet
Planet Airways was a Department of Defense Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) qualified air carrier until the cessation of operations in 2005. The official website of the U.S. Air Force describes the CRAF as non-military air carriers that meet the strict qualifications and requirements to operate on behalf of the DOD in emergencies when the need for airlift exceeds the capability of military aircraft. As a CRAF airline Planet Airways operated domestic flights transporting US military personnel on a regular basis.
Planet Airways prepared for several years to meet Department of Defense standards, which are described on the U.S. Air Force website as follows:
- "Safety is the paramount concern, and numerous procedures are in effect to ensure that the air carriers with which AMC contracts afford the highest level of safety to DOD passengers. Prior to receiving a contract, all carriers must demonstrate that they have provided substantially equivalent and comparable commercial service for one year before submitting their offer to fly for the Defense Department. All carriers must be fully certified Federal Aviation Administration carriers and meet the stringent standards of Federal Aviation Regulations pertaining to commercial airlines (Part 121)."
- “A DOD survey team, composed of experienced AMC pilots and skilled maintenance personnel, performs an on-site inspection of the carriers. This team conducts a comprehensive inspection that includes carrier's aircraft, training facilities, crew qualifications, maintenance procedures, quality control practices and financial status to maximize the likelihood that the carrier would safely perform for DOD. After passing this survey, the carrier is certified by the Commercial Airlift Review Board as DOD-approved before receiving a contract.”
- “AMC analysts then continue to monitor the carrier's safety record, operations and maintenance status, contract performance, financial condition and management initiatives, summarizing significant trends in a comprehensive review every six months. In addition to this in-depth review, there are several other surveillance initiatives. These include safety preflight inspections of commercial aircraft by DOD designated inspectors, periodic cockpit observations on operational flights by highly experienced pilots from AMC's DOD Commercial Airlift Division, and an increase in the frequency of on-site surveys. These initiatives and the surveys are further supplemented by an open flow of information on all contract carriers between AMC and the FAA through established liaison officers.”
In fiscal year 2004 Planet Airways received nearly 10% of the total revenues awarded by the Department of Defense for domestic charter flights transporting U.S. military personnel.
Read more about this topic: Planet Airways
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