Gulfstream International Airlines (GIA) is feeling more heat from the FAA. On three occasions, pilots of the airline allowed a passenger in the cockpit of a Beechcraft 1900, turboprop aircraft, during flight. The first two incidents happened in the same day, with a female friend of the Captain during the summer of 2007. The third incident just so happened to involve the same female passenger, but on a different day, with a different flight crew. To be present in the cockpit of an aircraft during flight, without being authorized through CASS (Cockpit Access Security System) is a major security breach of FAA regulations. One would think that two Captains, even for GIA, would have knowledge of such a stern regulation and the potential repercussion for failing to adhere to it. The company found out about the violation through a complaint by a flight attendant, that was onboard for two of the three flights.

Read how GIA is being subject to a $1.3M dollar fine for crew-scheduling and maintenance violations.

Gulfstream International Airlines, not to be confused with Gulfstream Aerospace, may have to pay as much as $1.3 million in fines. The FAA discovered that the airline has been negligent in keeping track of electronic scheduling, forcing crews to work over their flight time limitations.  Secondly, officials have found unapproved air conditioning compressors installed with improperly maintained vent blowers.

Gulfstream International is based in Dania, Florida where they operate 21 Beechcraft 1900’s on routes to as far as Jamestown, NY. They have code shares with Continental, United, and Northwest Express. The company has a bad reputation of hiring pilots with low flight time who are willing to pay the company for flying as a First Officer on their aircraft. In other words the co-pilot is actually a paying customer of the airline.