Business Aviation Aviation Safety & Regulation Policy & Regulation

FAA ends single-pilot exemptions for eight transport-category Citation jets after safety review

The FAA is rescinding exemptions dating to 1984 that allowed single-pilot operation of eight transport-category Cessna Citation models. The agency’s review of 18 years of accident data identified elevated safety concerns and widespread noncompliance with training and oversight requirements.

Discovered 2026-09-26T16:04:59.626057-07:00 | 2026-09-26T16:04:59.626057-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

Operators of the affected Citation models will need to plan for two-pilot operations, with direct implications for crewing, training, scheduling and operating costs.
The FAA’s action follows an 18-year accident review and findings of widespread training noncompliance, signaling tighter scrutiny of longstanding exemptions in business aviation.
The decision removes exemptions that had been in place since 1984, changing the compliance baseline for transport-category business-jet operations.

Reported By

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